Forgotten Prophecy
by HallowedRider
Summary: The war against Gaia has concluded and the heroes of Olympus have been victorious. But now a new battle has emerged, one that is possibly just as dangerous. Greek and Roman demigods have begun to disappear, taken by some unknown new entity. The gods themselves do not know the identity of the culprit. With this in mind a new prophecy is made, one that has dire implications.
1. Chapter 1

The first howls pierced the night, a familiar sound. The sound of wolves who had just come across the scent of their prey. That in itself was not anything to worry about. But what Ryker did find odd was the simple existence of wolves in this part of the forest. _So what are you doing here Children of the Moon?_ He put a hand to the earth and closed his eyes, feeling through the ground for the wolves.

When he discovered them he immediately knew that there was something amiss. The wolves were not alone. They were running with a large group of people and moving far faster than any wolves or human should be able to. He was in the middle of a small clearing ringed by trees that were seemingly as old as the forest itself. He saw no reason to run from the wolves nor those that accompanied them. They most likely weren't there for him to begin with and even if they were he was confident that he could handle them easily. He was in his element well and truly. The forest was his home and the forest protected its own. _No sense in not being prepared though._ He walked up to one of the trees that he was surrounded by and put his hand against the bark. He felt the stirrings of the tree's power and smiled to himself. _Do you mind, Old One?_ He asked.

For a moment he wondered if the tree would deny his request. It had happened before. The older a tree was the greater the aid it could offer, but the chance that the tree would deny his request was also higher. But it seemed that the tree didn't mind helping him then. A handle protruded from the tree and Ryker grasped it immediately, drawing a massive longbow from the tree. A dozen arrows fell out after the bow and Ryker gave a small sigh of annoyance as he bent to pick them up. _Thanks._ He told the tree.

He touched his hand to the ground again, listening through the earth or any sign of the wolves and their companions. Ryker knew something was wrong then as he could no longer sense either of the groups. He notched an arrow to the bow and set the others in a small leather quiver that hung at his lower back. With the bow and arrow held in his right hand he casually leaned against the tree he had just 'spoken' with and put his left hand against the bark. In this position Ryker was at his most dangerous.

The wolves entered the clearing first. They pawed quietly up to Ryker and formed a loose semicircle around him, their mouths twitching with snarls. He smiled at them with no animosity and narrowed his eyes. He had seen wolves before, he had even raised a few when their packs abandoned them. These were not natural wolves, at least not any sort that he had seen before. These wolves were snow white, every one of them. They were also all female. _Odd. Usually a pack this big should have at least one male for breeding._

One of the wolves made to take a step towards Ryker. Before the paw had even hit the ground the wolf had an arrow sticking out of its chest. The beast was not even able to give a cry of pain as it slumped to the ground, dead. _Hear me now Daughters of the Moon._ Ryker warned. The wolves gave a worried whine in unison, but Ryker continued communicating with them. He wasn't speaking to them, not truly. He was sending them vague impressions and emotions that would convey the general meaning he had in mind. _I want no part in your hunt. Go now, and you may leave in peace. Stay, and I will skin the pelts from your bodies._

They gave another long whine and they backed up several feet but they didn't slink away. "Fine." Ryker muttered, nocking another arrow. The body of the first wolf had vanished and her hide was the only thing left of her. He aimed at the wolf that was directly in front of him and that was when he heard the sound of footfalls coming from the woods behind him. _They're good._ He thought miserably. _They're that close and I'm only just now hearing them._

Ryker took a deep breath and spun around suddenly. He sent three arrows flying at the unknown intruders in the blink of an eye and had another one nocked before the wolves had even registered his movement. Once their shock wore off they howled and lunged for him with the cohesion only a pack could boast. It was for naught however. Two went down in less than a second and the other six were sent tumbling away. Ryker drew back his bow and was about to release when a sudden overwhelming smell of ozone assaulted his nostrils. He looked up at the night sky in confusion, and was hit by a lightning bolt that seemed to come from the trees. He was sent tumbling back and his bow was wrested from his grip in the fall. He landed on his back, staring up at the stars. His chest ached from where the bolt of lightning had struck him and he could barely draw in breath. Ryker shrugged off the pain and got to his feet casting a quick glance at the area around him. They came from the woods, sauntering into the clearing with their bows drawn and superior expressions on their faces. They were all dressed in silver and white and they seemed to have some sort of glow about them that Ryker could not place. They drew their bows back as one and trained their arrows on him, none of them wavering so much as an inch. He backed up warily until he bumped into a tree. He put both of his hands to the tree like he had before when he had requested the tree for a bow, but he did not ask this time. He pulled a bow from the tree, ignoring the outrage that he felt from the wood. The girls seemed startled by the appearance of his weapon and Ryker allowed himself a feral grin. He held the bow in his right hand and very slowly reached into his quiver. An arrow grazed his shoulder and buried itself into the tree he had just taken his bow from. "Set your weapon down." One of the girls commanded, stepping forward. Unlike the others she wore a shield at her back, though she still had her bow in hand. "Now."

"I don't think so." Ryker said easily, pulling an arrow from the quiver and nocking into place. A second arrow shot by his neck, drawing a thin line in his flesh. He didn't wince or even blink at the sudden pain. None of the girls in the clearing had fired either arrow which told him that they still had others in the trees. "This is the forest. You are intruders."

"A _boy_ like you can't have a forest." One of the girls spat. "The forests are the property of the gods."

Ryker considered the statement for a long moment before firing his arrow at the girl who had spoken. His arrow cut through her thin silver bowstring and the force of her bow's snapback sent her staggering back with blood flowing from her forehead. "This is _my_ forest." He amended his statement. "Get out."

"Your thoughts, my lady?" The girl with the shield had turned around and was now speaking to one of the unknown girls in the trees. Ryker drew another arrow and aimed at the back of her neck. The wolves snarled and began to pace back and forth, agitated. "He is the one you sent us to find, correct?"

"That's right." A girl of no more than thirteen strolled into the clearing and Ryker immediately knew that she was their leader. She glowed with a vibrant silver aura and her skin seemed to have been forged from moonlight itself. She studied Ryker closely and he felt his hand begin to shake, though he could not begin to guess why.

She was dangerous, very dangerous. Ryker made a snap decision and fired three arrows at the leader as fast as he could. The second the first arrow was within an inch of her skin a piercing flash of white light illuminated the clearing, temporarily blinding Ryker. He threw up a hand to protect his eyes as they sudden light made them ache. While he was still blind he felt his bow being ripped from his grasp and something sharp put against his neck. His vision returned slowly and Ryker found that the girl he had fired at was now standing in front of him with a small dagger held firmly against his throat. "We were asked to bring you to camp Half-Blood as a favor. However, if you insist on acting so poorly I will kill you." She wasn't threatening in her tone, she merely thought it as a statement of fact. "Your mother very rarely asks for favors so I would rather not waste such an opportunity."

"My mother?" Ryker repeated with a harsh laugh. "Sorry kid,-" The knife at his throat pressed just a hair harder against his flesh. "But I've never met my mother. You got duped by whatever monster sent you here."

"Many half-bloods have never met their divine parent." The girl said reasonably. "Although with Jackson's interference that has become an ever rising number."

"I'm not leaving this forest." Ryker said simply. He grabbed the girl's hand and increased the blade's pressure on his neck until he felt blood begin to drip down his skin. "So either end this or leave me in peace."

The girl looked at him again with the same piercing gaze. "You don't know who I am, do you?"

"Not a clue." Ryker shrugged. "Don't care either."

"Why you impudent little…" The girl whose bowstring he had shot made to advance on him but the girl in front of Ryker raised a hand.

"That's enough Selecia." She said. She smiled then and Ryker felt his instincts screaming again at him, telling him just how dangerous she was. "His experience with the gods has been naught. I am surprised you have lasted as long as you have on your own. Listen well, boy, for I will only tell you this once. My name is Artemis. I am the Goddess of the Hunt and these are my followers."

"Uh huh." Clearly they expected her words to have some significance but they meant nothing to Ryker. He had heard the name whispered among the trees and the animals of course, but they were just that; whispers. "And?"

"You are quite the tiresome one to reason with." Artemis said. She withdrew her dagger and the weapon vanished in a shower of silver sparks. "You will come with us. Whether you like it or not, your fate has already been bound with others in a prophecy."

"Still not going." Ryker crossed his arms and gazed down at Artemis with disdain.

"Oh for the love of…" The girl with the shield raised her hand again but this time Ryker was ready when he smelled the ozone. He rolled to the side just as a bolt struck the place he had just been standing upon. "You order, Lady Artemis?"

"Capture him." She said as she stepped back and vanished into a beam of moonlight. Her voice echoed through the clearing after she had left. "And take him back to camp Half-blood."

"You heard her ladies." The girl said as she put away her bow and drew her shield and a sword. "Try not to hurt him too badly, eh? Chiron won't be too happy with us if we do."

"Come on then." Ryker cracked his knuckles in anticipation. "Come get me."

Later, as he was pushed forward with his gloved hands now bound behind his back, he reflected that it might not have been such a wise decision.


	2. Escape Attempt

"We'll rest here for the night." Thalia said decisively, dropping her shield to the ground and pulling a silver cloth from her backpack. "Cleo, you and Portia tie him up over there." She nodded to a spot several meters away from where she was standing.

They had covered Ryker's hands with silver gloves and had bound him with some sort of extremely tough thread. They had captured him with surprising ease which annoyed him to no end. The girl who held his tether jerked him along and his scowl deepened. They had forced him to run along with him which was no big deal in of itself, but every time he had slowed they had prodded him along with their arrows or swords. Eventually he had grown tired of the constant prodding and had quietly kept up with them. The girl had begun to tie him to a tree when Thalia looked over and her voice cracked out, "Don't tie him there!" She said hotly. "You saw what he can do when he can touch a tree!"

Ryker cursed silently though his face remained neutral. Escaping with his hands covered would be very difficult. He glanced up at the sky and smiled when he spied the hawk circling above their camp. He was moved away from the tree and tied down to the ground via several white cables that the girl pulled out of her backpack. Once she was certain that he could go nowhere she returned to the other huntresses to assist in setting up their camp. Ryker watched with mild interest as their silver cloths somehow transformed into grand tents. Their entire setup took less than fifteen minutes and when they were finished the girls began to relax. Some went into their tents and disappeared, presumably to sleep. Others began to play with the wolves or tend to their various weapons.

"Comfortable?" Thalia asked interestedly, striding over to Ryker and taking a seat on the ground beside him. "Sorry for the bindings, but I get the feeling that you are the sort to try and escape."

He had to smile at that. "Oh, I will escape." He said confidently. He gazed down at his gloved hands before looking back to her. "I'm guessing that you are Artemis's Lieutenant?"

"Yes." She nodded. "So do you have any ideas why the gods want you to be taken to camp Half-Blood."

"Not a clue." Ryker shrugged. "I don't even know what Camp Half-Blood is."

"The summer camp for demigods?" Thalia offered. "Like you and me?" Ryker looked at her blankly and he saw a question flash across Thalia's face. "You do know that you are a demigod, right?"

"I figured it was something like that." Ryker shrugged again. "I once spoke with a cloud nymph who told me that I was. I guess I never really gave it much thought."

"Speaking of that, how long have you been living in the forest?" Thalia seemed intrigued by him for some reason. "I mean, your clothes look like you made them yourself except for your jeans."

"Deer hide." Ryker said, patting his jerkin fondly. "Yeah, I made it myself. I… borrowed the jeans. As for how long I've been on my own… About twelve years now."

"How old are you?" She inquired.

Ryker thought for a moment about how wise it was giving them so much information, but he figured that since he was planning on escaping that it would not truly matter. "Sixteen." He said finally.

"You've survived on your own for twelve years?" Her astonishment could not have been plainer. "How did you manage that? Didn't monsters come for you?"

Ryker reached for his neck and was stopped short by the bindings. He vented a frustrated sigh and gestured for Thalia to move closer. "At my neck there is a necklace. Pull it out for me."

Thalia very hesitantly moved forward and searched for a moment before she found the specified item. She gave it a gentle tug and pulled it over Ryker's head. Her mouth dropped open in shock as she saw the items hanging on the necklace. "Is this…?" She held a fang between her fingers.

"Hydra's tooth." Ryker nodded. "Came after me just last year. Actually, a lot of creatures like that one have been active lately. They've stopped recently, but for a while there it was hard to get a moment's breath. They kept saying something about how the Earth Mother was awaking."

"Yes, that was… a trial." Thalia winced. "But that's been taken care of. Anyways, I don't suppose you know who your divine parent is?"

"Not a clue."

"You must be the son of one of the nature goddesses…." Thalia's voice trailed off and she studied him closely. "But I know children of all of them. You don't have any of their distinguishing features or their characteristics."

"Sorry to disappoint."

"It's fine." Thalia said vaguely. "When we get to Camp Half-Blood we will talk to Chiron and Mr. D and see what they think. Your parent should claim you after you've been there for a little while, especially if Zeus is the one who asked for you in the first place."

"You seem very confident that you are going to get me there." Ryker observed. "But I still have zero intention of going with you. I don't do well with other people, trust me. The forest is my home."

"Why don't you want to go to camp?" Thalia seemed mystified. "It's safe there and fun besides. Demigods can actually be themselves there."

"I can be myself in the forest." Ryker reminded her. "And I have been doing very well for myself. At least, until you lot came along."

"I don't get how we didn't discover you sooner." Thalia mused. "Or at least one of the satyrs."

"Probably because I didn't want to be found." Ryker said, "I've felt your group run through my woods before but you weren't looking for me. It was easy enough to conceal myself from people who aren't aware I'm there."

"Fair enough." Thalia said, rising to her feet. She looked over to the girls and waved one over. "We're going to post watches on him. One hour increments. Pick someone as your relief when the hour is up. If he causes trouble come wake me up."

"Can do." The girl drew out her bow and walked several feet away from Ryker. She drew back the string and leveled the arrow at his throat. He smiled at her and she glared at him. "Don't try anything funny."

"No promises." He chuckled. He reached up to scratch his chin and it occurred to him that Thalia still had his necklace. _I'll need to get that back before I get out of here._

He sat quietly in front of his guard, gazing up at the sky as the moon rose. To her credit, she never wavered for a minute as she continued to have her bow trained on him. Ryker began to whistle quietly, towards the end of her watch. When there was less than five minutes remaining he finally saw her relax a fraction of an inch. His whistling picked up in volume and when he finished his tune he let loose a burst of three ascending notes. A hawk screamed above them and Ryker smiled at his guard once more. "Sorry about this." He told her sincerely.

"Sorry about wha- Aaaah!" She suddenly screamed when a hawk dive bombed her. The arrow that she had nocked shot from the bow, narrowly missing Ryker. The hawk's talons dug bloody furrows in her face and neck and she dropped her bow to push off the bird. The hawk gave a cry of rage and flapped away minus several feathers. "You!"

She only then realized that Ryker was no longer bound. He had removed his gloves and was now holding her bow in his right hand. He hefted the weapon experimentally and nodded appreciatively. "Good weapon." He offered before darting forward and cracking her on the head.

Her scream had not gone unnoticed by the others and Ryker turned to see huntresses spilling out of their tents with weapons drawn. Thalia was among them, though she looked anything but surprised. Her shield was on her arm, but Ryker had learned better than to look at it. The image it depicted forced him to look away, which was death on the battlefield. "I don't suppose you would surrender, would you?"

"No." Ryker said regretfully. "Not at all."

"You know how this went last time." Thalia warned him. "We won't go easy on you this time."

"Funny… I was going to say the same thing." Ryker grinned but then he sighed. "Sorry, as much as I would love to play with you again I really should be going."

"You can't get away from us." Thalia warned him. "The Blessing of Artemis has been bestowed upon us. Our prey can never escape."

"Maybe your other prey." Ryker said fairly. For every step they advanced he took a step back. He let this song and dance continue until he was right beside a tree. He thought it was a maple, but he couldn't be certain. "But in the forest… I'm the hunter."

Without another word he quite literally stepped into the tree. He wished he could have seen the shock on their faces as he disappeared, but he didn't. He felt himself traveling through the invisible network that connected all trees and when he thought that he was far enough away he stepped out of the tree.

"Nice of you to join us." Thalia said smugly, her shield still raised.

Ryker's mouth popped open and he stared at them with open mouthed amazement. He shouldn't have been anywhere near them, he shouldn't have been within several hundred _miles_ of them. He glanced at the tree behind him and frowned. _Did you betray me Old One?_ He wondered.

"I bet you thought that you were slick." Thalia laughed. "Sorry, but I win that round. I spent _years_ as a tree and my father is Zeus. That tree you just stepped into was an oak. His sacred tree."

Ryker tried to hide his amazement, but was only partially successful. He had used the trees as a means of travel for years, ever since he had learned that it was possible. To have his escape route abruptly cut off was nothing short of devastating to him. He was certain that he wouldn't be able to escape them through any other means either.

"You have two options." Thalia told him. "You can try to run, but we will catch you. Alternatively, you can come along with us willingly and we won't have to keep you bound."

"Thalia!" Selecia said hotly. "He's a _boy_!"

"So is my brother." Thalia shrugged. "If he doesn't cause us trouble he shouldn't have to be bound like a prisoner."

"But he _is_ our prisoner!" Selecia reminded her.

Ryker was very sorely tempted to shoot her and hang the consequences. But he decided against that course as he was not certain that the trees that surrounded them would be willing to help him. "Fine." He said at last. "I'll go with you… for now. But I'm not promising that I will stay at this Camp Half-Blood."

"That's not for you or me to decide." Thalia told him simply. "But that's fair enough. Come on, I'll get you your own tent."

"I'll stay out here if you don't mind." Ryker said. He gazed at the arrows that were still directed at him and scowled. "I don't trust you that much."

"Don't try to run off." Thalia warned him. "We leave an hour before first light. I want to get to Camp before noon."


	3. Ill Met

True to her word, Thalia had the huntresses ready to leave an hour before first light. Ryker waited until they were completely ready before he made his appearance, walking unchallenged into the center of their ranks. Thalia seemed slightly surprised to see him, almost as though she had expected him to make his escape during the night. He held out a hand to her and she looked at him in question. "My necklace." He said quietly.

A light of comprehension flashed in her eyes and she pulled the rawhide necklace from her pocket and pressed it into his hand. "Sorry about that." She told him. "Can you keep up? We won't be taking it as easy as we did yesterday."

"I can keep up." Ryker said confidently. He leaned casually on his bow, the top of which was at his shoulders. "As long as we are in the forest."

Thalia sent him a questioning look and he shrugged. "I am stronger as long as I'm in a forest. I'm pretty much normal anywhere else."

"We'll try to keep to the forest route then." Thalia promised. She readjusted her backpack and sent him a questioning look. "Are you going to carry that bow the entire time?"

"Sure am." Ryker hefted the weapon. "I like this one."

"If you say so." Thalia wisely let it be. She looked back to the other huntresses and called, "Alright, let's move out!"

With that she bounded off into the woods. Ryker followed after the huntresses had all followed after her. Keeping up with them was not nearly as challenging as he had thought it might be. They knew their way around the woods, but he had _lived_ in these woods. He knew the forest as well as he knew himself. Better probably. Thalia set a driving pace that had them eating up the miles much faster than any mortal could have done. Perhaps an Olympic athlete could have kept up for a short time, but not for the hours that they held the pace. They ran in silence, with only occasional conversations being struck up by the girls. Their wolves kept pace with them, running a perimeter around them.

The sun had risen to its peak in the sky when Thalia finally slowed to a walk. She turned around and started walking backwards as she spoke to the huntresses and Ryker. "Camp Half-Blood is just ahead. Remember, these are our friends. Let's not cause any trouble. Ryker are you ready?"

"Would you let me return to my home if I said no?" He asked bluntly.

"No."

"Well then let's not waste time on senseless questions."

Thalia rolled her eyes and muttered something that Ryker didn't quite catch. She turned back around and the Hunters formed into two long ranks. In the distance a horn sounded. The woods abruptly stopped and the group stepped out into a large clearing. Ryker blinked in surprise as he beheld the scene before him. Various wooden and stone cabins were stretched out before them, all of them sporting different designs and styles. Kids were running around laughing and carrying on with weapons strapped to them as though it were the most natural thing in the world. When they spied the huntresses and Ryker walking into their camp everyone seemed to stop and retreated backwards. "Not exactly friendly, are they?" Ryker chuckled quietly. "Or maybe it's you lot who aren't that friendly."

He raised an eyebrow when he spied an elderly centaur striding towards them with a guarded smile. "Thalia." He said warmly as he embraced the girl. "It's always good to see you."

"Good to see you too, Chiron." She returned the embrace and then stepped back. She nodded to Ryker and said, "We brought you a new recruit at the request of our lady. Orders from my father apparently."

"Really?" Chiron looked over to Ryker with interest.

Ryker knew what the centaur saw. He was slightly above average height with hair that resembled the color of leaves in autumn. His eyes were a verdant forest green. Dressed in jeans and a deerskin tunic he looked for all the world like a wild boy. "Welcome to Camp Half-Blood." Chiron walked over to him, his hooves clopping against the ground. "My name is Chiron, I am the camp counsellor here."

"Ryker." He responded, tentatively shaking the proffered hand.

"Careful with this one Chiron." Thalia laughed. She gave a sudden exclamation of delight when a light haired boy rushed forward and embraced her tightly. "Jason!"

"Thalia!" He responded enthusiastically. The huntresses scowled and moved away from the duo. "Why didn't you tell me that you were coming?"

"I've been busy tracking this one down." Thalia nodded to Ryker. "Sorry I've been quiet recently. I'll send you an iris message next time that I will be out of touch for so long."

"I'll hold you to that." Jason promised. He turned to look at Ryker and pursed his lips. "New recruit eh? You are a bit older than the others we get."

Ryker's eyes were hard as he examined the newcomer. He was different than the ones around him. Foreign almost. It was then that Ryker recognized what else was different about him. "You've been trained by Lupa." It was a statement. Ryker already knew it to be true.

Jason's eyes widened in surprise. "You know about Lupa?" He asked, surprised. He looked questioningly at Thalia. "Who's his divine parent? If he's Roman he should be with the Legion first. Campers aren't allowed to change camps until their second year."

"I don't know." Thalia shrugged. "Neither does he. From what Artemis said he's been pretty much removed from all contact with other demigods for most of his life."

"Oh, is this him then?" A bored man asked as he strode up to them. Ryker instantly did not like him. He was wearing an outrageously purple suit and had a glass of wine in his free hand. "Hm. Artemis did say that he was a bit on the wild side. We'll have to fix him of that."

"And you are?" Ryker asked coldly, unhappy that he was already having decisions made for him.

"Dionysus." The man said casually. He seemed to wait a moment for Ryker to have a moment of comprehension, but when none was forthcoming he gave a little sigh. "So it's true. Raised in the wilderness with no knowledge of the gods."

"Hold on." Jason said holding up a hand. "Raised in the wild? How did he survive so long? Wouldn't monsters have gotten him?"

Ryker allowed himself to grin for the first time since walking into the clearing as he pulled out his necklace. Along with the hydra's tooth were several other souvenirs that he had picked up from monsters he had killed. "They tried." Ryker admitted. He pulled open his deer hide jerkin and exposed a long-healed cut that extended from right below his throat to just past his navel. "A few even managed to get a few good hits in."

"Like I said," Dionysus yawned and sipped at his glass. Ryker saw with interest that the wine had transformed into water. "Wild."

"Do you know why he is here?" Chiron asked Dionysus. "If you do, then it would make things much easier for us."

"None of us know why." Dionysus said honestly. "The gods that is. To be perfectly honest, we were not even aware of his existence until very recently. He showed up to us quite literally out of nowhere. When we finally knew of him Zeus sent Artemis and her hunters to fetch him."

"Well, I'm here now." Ryker said unhappily. "You see me. Can I go back to my forest now?"

"No." Dionysus seemed just as unhappy with his answer as Ryker was. "As much as I hate the idea of having a new camper, until we know how you managed to escape our notice for so long you will be staying here. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood."

He began to turn away and Ryker, who was fed up with the man's answers, grabbed him roughly by the shoulder. "Hey, don't you walk-." Ryker's next words were lost as a blast sent him flying backwards. He crashed into a tree and the breath was driven from his lungs. But he was by no means incapacitated. Dionysus turned around with fury on his face and Ryker lunged for him again, his hands going for the man's throat. The glass of water disappeared into nothingness and vines began to rise from the earth directly in front of Ryker. They snagged his legs and began to creep up him, immobilizing him. Dionysus sauntered forward, his expression painfully superior. The vines had grabbed onto Ryker's hands and he hid a grin. He waited until Dionysus was within arm's reach before he told the vines to release his hands.

It wasn't a very good punch, his immobilized legs didn't give him very much spring behind it, but it was immensely satisfying to see Dionysus grab his jaw with a stunned expression. "Why you impudent little…" His eyes flashed menacingly and Ryker felt the vines tighten.

"Mr. D!" Jason stepped between them and a second later Thalia joined him. "You said that Zeus wanted him brought here, right? If you kill him you will only get more years added to your sentence."

Dionysus appeared to consider his options, but eventually the vines began to recede around Ryker's legs. "Very well." His bored tone returned. "He may live for now. But let me make something clear, do anything like that again and I will not be so kind. And I will not forget this."

"Have fun with that." Ryker smiled coldly at him. He would not forget either.

Only after Mr. D walked away did the assembled group finally breathe again. Thalia shook her head and shot Ryker a disbelieving look. "What is it with you and insulting the gods?" She asked. "Seriously. I want an answer. First it was Artemis and now Dionysus."

"He pissed off Artemis too?" Jason asked incredulously. "Percy and he are going to get along _so_ well."

"Don't be sure about that." Thalia warned. "He doesn't get along with anyone."

"Standing right here you two." Ryker said. "And for the record I didn't know he was a god. It probably wouldn't have changed the way I acted though." He added as an afterthought.

Chiron was pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers and shaking his head. "Why do I have the feeling that situations like these will be all too regular with you?"

"Precognition?" Ryker suggested.

"Come on then." The centaur said tiredly. "We'll get you settled into a cabin."

"If you think I am going to be sleeping in one of those cabins you are out of you mind." Ryker said. An explosion in the distance suddenly sounded through the camp and Ryker had an arrow nocked in less than the time it took to blink. The others did not seem similarly on edge. "What was that?" He demanded.

"Probably the Hephaestus cabin again." Chiron said unconcernedly. "I understand that they are tinkering with new defensive measure for the camp. Something about improving some Roman ideas."

"I don't think so." Jason said, frowning. Black smoke was curling in the distance and shouts were coming from the trees. "I saw them on the way here. They were eating lunch."

Ryker suddenly clutched at his chest as another explosion went off. "The trees." He growled, "They are hurting the forest."

"Ryker, are you alright?" Chiron asked concernedly. He made to place a hand on the young man's shoulder but immediately pulled it back when he saw the dark marks on them. Dark tendrils that resembled the roots of a tree in his flesh had begun to crawl down Ryker's shoulders and were wrapping around his arms.

Ryker straightened from his hunched over position and looked to where the explosions had come from. "Those who hurt the forest shall not be forgiven." He said quietly.


	4. Siblings?

Kids were still screaming and running about in panic when Ryker arrived on the scene. Scorch marks marked the earth and several trees had been blown apart. They lay on their sides, their trunks marred and blackened. Standing in the center of the carnage, ringed by several terrified campers brandishing swords and shield, was a woman with the body of a snake where her legs should have been. She smiled at the campers and Ryker saw a small body lying still at her feet with blood leaking from their neck. "Come now," She crooned, swaying in place. "Who wants to be next? Surely one of you delicious morsels are brave enough to come save your little friend here? He doesn't have that much time left!"

"Hold!" A golden haired boy called. "Don't get too close or she will spray you with her venom!"

"She's got Aiden!" One of them screamed. "We've got to help him!"

"His name is Aiden?" The lamia reached down and picked up the boy by his head. She held him in front of her and breathed in his scent deeply. "He smells… delicious."

She opened her mouth impossibly wide and it looked as though the boy was doomed when an arrow shot forward from behind the line and buried itself in the monster's chest. She screamed and dropped Aiden, reeling back and clutching at the arrow. She ripped the arrow from her chest and cast her eyes wide, her tail slamming against the ground in her rage. "Who did that?"

"I did." Ryker said, striding forward with another arrow drawn. He lifted his bow and fired again, aiming for her head this time.

The lamia dodged the arrow with contemptuous ease and hissed at the newcomer. She seemed to sniff the air and a slow grin split her mouth. "Aah," She said, savoring his scent. "What a wonderful bouquet that your scent is. A bit old than what my usual prey is, but I can make an exception for you."

"Ryker!" Jason said, as he ran up behind him with a golden sword drawn. "You alright?"

"Fine." He answered, unconcerned. "Leave her to me."

"Don't be stupid." Thalia said, standing on his other side. "That's not how we do things."

He rolled his eyes and loosed another arrow at the lamia with the same degree of success the second arrow had encountered. "She's not that tough." He argued. "I can take her by myself. You two will just get in my way."

"I guess it's my lucky day, three meals coming right to me." The lamia hissed in approval.

Ryker sighed and looked to the other two. "She hurt the forest. It's my job to take care of this." He said simply. "Stay out of it."

"Maybe it was, but you are a camper here and a new one at that." Jason countered. "As your senior-."

"We're like the same age!"

"As your senior it is my job to make sure that you don't get yourself hurt." Jason continued as though he hadn't heard Ryker's argument. "Besides, you aren't even wearing any armor. Lamias are dangerous."

"To hell with this." Ryker muttered.

"I think you mean Hades." Thalia corrected. "You really need to get your facts right."

Ryker scowled and strode forward. At his side, Thalia and Jason moved right with him. The lamia continued to sway back and forth, her eyes darting from one to another. As he passed by a fallen tree Ryker pressed a hand to the twisted wood and winced at the pain he felt. _I will avenge you._ He promised quietly.

"I'll take the lead." Jason said. Without another word he charged at the lamia, leaving Thalia and Ryker behind.

"Why you-!" Ryker made to follow but Thalia placed a restraining hand on his shoulder.

"He's right." She told him as she readied her bow. "You and I are only armed with bows. He has a sword. It only makes sense that we stay back."

"That's no fun." Ryker said grumpily. But he heeded her advice and began to send arrow after arrow at the lamia with deadly precision.

To his credit, Jason was an excellent fighter. He ducked and weaved in and out of the lamia's strike zone with careless ease, infuriating the snake woman. Every time that she was forced to dodge one of Ryker or Thalia's arrows Jason would leap forward and cut her and vice versa. In no time at all the three had sent the lamia back to the Underworld. She dissolved with a wordless scream leaving behind a snakeskin and ashes. Jason reached down and grabbed the snakeskin, examining it with some degree of interest before tossing it aside and turning his attention to Aiden.

The other campers rushed forward as well, a few of them carrying what Ryker assumed was medical supplies. They uncorked a flask of curious golden liquid and began to pour it on the wounds. The wounds smoked slightly but they began to close with impossible quickness. Ryker raised an eyebrow, but he said nothing. Instead, he turned away and wandered back into the camp.

"Hey! Hey, you!" A curious bleating voice called. Ryker turned to see a faun running up to him. Small horns curled from his head, clearly a very recent growth. "You! You… you…." He seemed to be struggling to find the words that would follow.

Ryker waited for what he considered to be an appropriate amount of time before turning away again. "You smell like the forest! Like the Wild!"

"Probably because I was raised there." Ryker said unconcernedly.

"Not like that, you smell like _Pan!_ " The faun insisted.

"Oh, the old guy?" Ryker asked. "Yeah, he taught me how to live in the forest."

"You met him?" The faun asked, awestruck. "You met Pan?"

"Yeah. Like I said, he was the one who taught me about the forest." Ryker paused and tilted his head to one side. "How do you know him?"

The faun simply looked at him with open-mouthed amazement. "I'm gonna go." Ryker said, turning back to walk down the path. He glanced down at his arms and saw the marks receding back up his arm. "Oh, Ryker." Chiron said, trotting up to him. "I was wondering where you'd gotten off to."

"Are monster attacks normal here as well?" He wondered, noting the camp as it calmly went about its way.

"Demigods are constantly preyed upon by monsters so it is to be expected that they would be drawn to such a large grouping." Chiron reasoned. "Although I would not say they are commonplace, they do happen."

"Hm." Ryker mused. "So what did you want me to do? Apparently I can't leave."

"If you wouldn't mind…"

" _What_ is that smell?" A girl dressed in an immaculate camper's outfit asked as she strode up to Chiron and Ryker. She looked at the newcomer with an expression that seemed equal parts disgust and sympathy.

"Hello Gina." Chiron greeted her. "This is our newest camper, Ryker. Ryker, this is Gina. A daughter of Hygeia."

"We have got to get you out of those clothes and into something that does not reek." She shuddered visibly and took a half step back.

Ryker looked down at his clothes and frowned. He had never considered his clothes to be in any sort of disarray. He also was not very familiar with very many manners of social etiquette.

"Gina!" Jason said as he jogged over to their group. "What's up?"

"Are you responsible for this?" She demanded, poking a finger at Ryker and then glaring at Jason.

"This has a name." Ryker put-in mildly.

"Hey, I didn't do anything." Jason said defensively. "I just met him. What's wrong with him anyways?"

"What's wrong?" Gina demanded. "Look at him!"

"Hey!" Ryker protested, certain that he had just been insulted.

"He's filthy! He looks like he hasn't had a shower in years! The list goes on and on!" Gina threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. "Who's his divine parent? I'm going to have a word with that cabin leader!"

"We don't know just yet Gina." Chiron told her. "He just arrived at camp today. When we find out we will certainly let you know."

"Just get him a shower, alright? Looking at him makes me want to take a wire brush to him." She shuddered again and stormed off casting an angry glance over her shoulder at Ryker.

"Sorry about that." Jason told him. "She's the daughter of the goddess of hygiene. Everyone in her cabin are complete neat freaks. She wasn't joking about the whole wire brush thing. She's done it before."

"Mr. Grace, would you mind checking Ryker into the Unclaimed Cabin? I believe there should be some open beds." Chiron smiled at Ryker and patted him on the shoulder. "Do not worry, I am sure that you will not be in there for long. Campers have been claimed much faster as of late."

"I think the record was Tyler." Jason remarked as Chiron walked away. "He was there for about a week before Ares claimed him."

"Ares?" Ryker asked. "Guessing that is one of the gods?"

"Yeah. Just like Mr. D. You know, the guy you punched. That was awesome by the way." Jason chuckled and extended a fist towards Ryker.

Ryker stared down at the fist as they walked and Jason gave a sigh before letting his hand drop. "You've really been on your own for a while, haven't you?" He asked.

"Most of my life. I don't really remember much from before living in the forest. I remember my dad's funeral, but that's about it."

Jason frowned. "I'm sorry for your loss. I lost my mom too."

"It's fine." Ryker shrugged. "Like I said, I don't really remember him."

"So you gotta tell me, how did you survive for so long?" Jason asked. "I mean, I could feel your power from a ways away. You must have a really powerful divine parent. Monsters should have been attracted to you like catnip."

"Actually, until very recently not really." Ryker admitted. "Up until about a year ago only a few monsters ever came by my forest. Then all of a sudden they started coming at me day after day. It was all the worse because the forest stopped helping me. It was like the earth turned against me."

"Gaea." Jason said darkly. "So she went after you too?"

"Mother Earth?" Ryker remembered something along those lines. "Yeah. I made it through with only a few scratches though. How about on your end?"

Jason's eyes were distant. He came to a stop in front of a cabin that seemed rather bland compared to other cabins. Jason turned back to face Ryker and gave a sigh. "We lost a lot of good people." He said. "I lost a very good friend of mine. He… he was the one who took down Gaea. His name was Leo. We never found his body."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Ryker said. It seemed like the right thing to say.

"Here's the Unclaimed cabin." Jason nodded to the cabin they stood in front of. "Go ahead inside. If you want, I can take your bow to the armory and keep it there so it doesn't get stolen."

"I'll keep a hold of it if you don't mind." Ryker said uncomfortably, looking warily at the cabin. He saw people moving inside and adjusted his grip on the bow nervously. "Listen I really don't mean to cause waves…"

"Don't really want to stay in the cabin?" Jason guessed. "Figured as much. I could ask the Demeter cabin if you can stay with them if you'd like. They are the children of a nature goddess too. They shouldn't mind you too much."

"I'd like that if you don't mind." Ryker said, relieved.

Jason did not mind, but the sons and daughters of Demeter very much did. In fact, they were very opposed to the very sight of Ryker. More specifically, they were opposed to his deer skin jerkin. "OUT!" The cabin leader roared. She grabbed a potted plant and hurled it at Ryker's head. "GET OUT!"

"Friendly aren't they?" Ryker asked once he and Jason had retreated a safe distance.

"Sorry about that." Jason winced. "I forgot that they are very much about nature."

"Apparently my mother is a nature goddess as well." Ryker reminded him. "I _really_ hope that Demeter is not my mother. I don't think I could survive having them as siblings. And they wouldn't survive having _me_ as a sibling."


	5. Capture the Flag

"Alright, alright, everyone settle down." Chiron called. The campers paused in their mealtime festivities and turned to look at Chiron who stood at the front of the room. Ryker stood beside him clothed in a brand new camper's shirt and some borrowed cargo shorts. After he had taken a shower he had discovered that someone had stolen his old clothes and replaced them with the ones he currently wore. "We have a new camper with us today. Would everyone welcome Ryker?"

The meal hall roared in greeting and Ryker winced as the sound assaulted his ears. "Hey, I know you!" Someone called. Ryker scanned the crowd and saw the golden haired boy who had led the assault against the lamia. "You are the one who saved Aiden from the lamia."

"I saw that shot." Another camper shouted. "He's gotta be the son of Apollo with bow skills like that."

"It wasn't that great of a shot." One dark haired girl at the Ares table snorted. "And the lamia wasn't moving."

Ryker frowned and glared at the girl. He opened his mouth to argue but Chiron cleared his throat loudly and all attention was brought back to him. "Yes, well, we can discuss that later. Let us also welcome the Hunters of Artemis once again to our camp."

The camp gave another cheer but Ryker thought that perhaps there was slightly less enthusiasm this time. The hunters waved awkwardly from their table. They were all sat there with the exception of Thalia who had chosen to sit next to her brother. "Good to be here again!" Thalia called.

 _Maybe for you._ Ryker said, noting the scowls of the other hunters. _Not for them. There's bad blood there somewhere._

"As per tradition, tonight we will have our game of capture the flag. Campers against the Hunters of Artemis." This time Ryker noted that the cheer was definitely strained. Only a few of the campers seemed to be looking forward to the game. "We will meet on the field as soon as the meal is finished."

Ryker returned quietly to the unclaimed table and blinked in surprise when a large selection of food suddenly appeared before him. He warily picked up what appeared to be his favorite food, rabbit, and took a hesitant bite. After his initial bite he tore into the food with careless abandon. He had not realized how hungry he was nor could he remember the last time he had eaten properly. Ever since the monsters had grown aware of him most of the game had seemingly disappeared. He had eaten what he could and when he could.

"Enjoying your food?" A nervous voice asked. Ryker looked up to see a somewhat familiar young kid staring at him with a somewhat awestruck gaze.

"I was." Ryker said after considering the question. "Until you bothered me."

"I'm sorry, but I wanted to-."

"You're that kid the lamia got ahold of." Ryker suddenly remembered. "How are your injuries?"

"I'm fully healed now." Aiden said, relieved that he had been recognized. "I just wanted to say thanks. Will said that if you hadn't shot the lamia when you did I would have been monster chow."

"No worries." Ryker said dismissively. "Be more careful next time. Lamias might seem slow but they are as fast as vipers. And their venom can dissolve pretty much anything."

"You've fought one before?" Aiden asked, sitting down at the table.

"I've fought three before." Ryker corrected, pulling out his necklace and offering the rawhide to the kid. "Take a look. Those are my little trophies."

"So it's true then!" Aiden said, handing back the necklace after a close examination. "You really were raised in the wild."

"How did you know that?" Ryker asked with mild curiosity.

"Everyone in camp knows!" Aiden gushed eagerly, happy to answer a question. "A _boy_ comes into camp escorted by the hunters of Artemis? That _never_ happens! They would kill a male demigod before helping them usually."

"Yeah, well, Artemis wasn't far from it." Ryker said moodily taking another bite of his rabbit and washing it down with a swig of water. He blinked in surprise and stared interestedly into the depths of his cup. "Hm. This tastes like spring water."

"It probably is." Aiden offered. "The food and drink here takes the form of whatever you really want." He grabbed a goblet and Ryker watched in surprise as it filled with a bubbling brown liquid.

"Handy." He remarked, taking another swig. "So what's with this game Chiron was talking about? Capture the flag?"

"Oh, that." Aiden stared gloomily at the table and sighed. "It's just an excuse for us to get beaten by the Hunters of Artemis. Every time they come to camp we play a game of capture the flag. We never win though, they're too good."

"They aren't that good." Ryker scoffed. "I fought them and gave them a hard time."

"Can I take it that you mean to join in tonight then?" The same girl who had questioned Ryker's archery skills earlier had sauntered over to his table and was now standing over him.

"I might." Ryker answered breezily. "What's it to you?"

"I'm the one in charge of the campers' side." She said with a superior grin. "I don't want anyone who can't fight on my team."

"He can fight." Thalia assured her, striding over to them. Jason followed close on her heels with an amused grin on his face. "For a boy." She added as an afterthought.

"You what?" Ryker demanded, pushing to his feet. "I nearly beat you!"

"We were under orders from Artemis not to hurt you." Thalia reminded him. "We couldn't try all that hard and we still caught you."

Ryker's expression must have been fearsome as Aiden shrank back at the table and quietly moved away. "You just made _such_ a mistake." He promised her. He turned away from the table and strode purposefully out of the meal hall. Jason dogged after him, his eyes alight with the challenge.

"Thalia really knows how to get under people's skin." Jason remarked. "Try not to let it get to you. But I still don't want you taking it easy on her."

"Not in my nature." Ryker told him, striding into the woods. He searched the woods for a suitable candidate and settled for an old maple tree whose trunk was gnarled and twisted.

"What are you-." Jason took a step back and raised an eyebrow. "Whoa."

Ryker had his palms pressed against the tree and they had very slowly begun to sink into the wood. _I need a weapon._ He informed the tree. _A bow. The best you can possibly give me._

The tree acquiesced to his desires and Ryker pulled free a beautiful dark brown bow. He tested the drawstring experimentally and nodded confidently. "Good enough." He told Jason, slinging the weapon over his shoulder.

"I thought that bowstrings were made of flax." Jason said uncertainly as they walked out of the trees.

"They generally are." Ryker nodded. "But the trees have their own ways of making bows. The power of this bow alone is probably stronger than most bows you have in your armory."

"Can I try it?" Jason extended his hand but Ryker shook his hand. "What?"

"I'm the only one who can use bows that I ask from the trees." Ryker explained. "If anyone else were to try it the bow would shatter immediately."

"Really?" Jason was intrigued. "Then it has to be something to do with your godly parent! No one can use my lightning bolts either."

"You have lightning bolts?"

"Son of Jupiter." Jason said as though that made everything obvious. Ryker's blank expression forced him to clarify, "The Roman king of the Gods. Thalia is the daughter of Zeus, the Greek king of the gods."

"Ah." Ryker nodded. "Some of the creatures I came across who were friendly would occasionally say something about them."

A large group of campers had formed by the armory and several burly looking boys and girls ere distributing weapons out to them with grim expressions. Several of the younger campers seemed to be trembling in their armor, their knees wobbling. "Alright, listen up!" Clarisse shouted above the sounds of clanking metal. "We are going to split up into three groups. Two are going up the sides and the third are going to stay behind and guard the flag. Jason, I want you to lead the right side. I'll take the left. Piper! Can you take care of guarding the flag?"

"No problem." A Native American girl said confidently brandishing an odd looking dagger. She looked at Jason and smiled. "Hurry up and get that flag!"

"No problem." He said, repeating her words. "Don't let them get near ours."

"Where do you want me?" Ryker asked casually, leaning on his massive longbow. This one was level with his chin. He had procured several dozen arrows from the armory and they hung in the quiver at his back.

"Wherever." Clarisse said carelessly. "If you are as strong as you think you are, you should figure out something."

"Up the middle it is." Ryker muttered to himself, staring at the field before him. He knelt down and placed a hang against the earth, closing his eyes and listening intently. He searched past the campers that moved around him and looked for the hunters' setup. They were several hundred yards into the forest, their flag heavily guarded.

Ryker opened his eyes and stood up just as a horn sounded. "Let the game begin! Let the best team win!" Chiron called.

The words had no sooner left his lips than a storm of arrows arced up above their heads and began to descend on the campers. Ryker was already moving before the first shaft had struck the earth, streaking for the relative safety of the forest. The other campers were only a beat behind him. The last Ryker saw of Jason was the young man grinning as he led the charge up his side of the field. Once Ryker was within the forest he slowed his pace. He took a deep breath and stepped into the shadow of a tree, hiding his presence. He moved with all the stealth of a master predator stalking its prey, making slow but certain progress on the Hunter's position. Shouts and the sounds of battle erupted on either side of him and Ryker smiled slightly at the inadvertent diversion it called. When he stepped into the clearing where the Hunters had set up their flag he thoroughly startled the guards. One even dropped her weapon in her shock. Once the novelty of Ryker's appearance passed them by they drew back their bows and leveled their arrows at him. "To be honest, I'm not worried about your flag." Ryker admitted, drawing back his own bow. "This is revenge for pulling me from the forest."

The girls snarled and loosed their arrows at him as one. Ryker stepped back into the shadow of the tree and let loose a wild laugh. The arrows sailed harmlessly into the trees, passing by where Ryker had been a moment before.

Ryker flitted around the trees that surrounded the flag, laughing all the while. To the hunters it seemed as though he was everywhere at once. Ryker only paused to fire arrows occasionally, just to further unnerve the hunters. When one of the Hunters gathered her resolve and ran into the forest Ryker appeared behind her, leaping from within a tree. Her scream of terror was abruptly cut off when he chopped her windpipe with flat of his hand and then smashed her in the back of the head with his bow. A sudden shout from where the camper's flag was the only thing that tore Ryker away from his revenge. "They've got our flag!" Piper screamed, her voice carrying over the din of the battlefield. "The middle! They're going up the middle!"

Ryker saw the hunter in question streaking through the forest towards him, the camper's blue flag flapping behind her. He stepped behind a tree and waited until she had come adjacent to him before stepping out and grabbing the flag. She was thrown off balance and fell onto her back, her grip on the flag lost. "My flag." Ryker declared, turning back the way she had come and leaving her to tend to her friend.


	6. Reunion

The Hunters' were going to win. Ryker knew it. The normally high energy game had quickly turned into a war of attrition and the Hunters had adjusted their tactics accordingly as they had begun to capture campers and incapacitating them. Jason, Ryker, and Piper had been the last three left standing against the hunters and though they fought well the Hunters overwhelmed them. Jason had been the first of the trio to be captured. Several silver pitons had wrapped around his legs and he had been dragged off into the forest. Piper had been next. She had ran after Jason with the intent to release him and had been subsequently captured herself. That left Ryker alone to guard the campers' flag. He was dangerously low on arrows and a dozen welts from the hunters' attacks ran all along his body.

The hunters walked out of the forest in a straight line, all of them grinning with anticipation. "And here we are again, Ryker." Thalia laughed. "Come on, give up the flag. We captured the others. It's just you left."

"Yeah, about that…" Ryker grinned back at them. "I don't give up. This is my flag. You can't have it."

 _Which is fine in theory, but I'm outmatched here._ His thoughts were serious, a contradiction to the cheerful demeanor he had thrown up. _Why do I even care? It's a stupid game._

 _Aah yes._ A breathy voice whispered in his mind. Ryker's head whipped around, searching for the source of the voice. _Your father always was the competitive one. I suppose that's the hunter in you._

"Who said that?" Ryker demanded. He gazed accusingly at Thalia and the huntresses. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?" Thalia asked confusedly, looking up and down at her huntresses. They all shook their heads in confusion. "We didn't do anything."

 _It is not them._ The voice told him. _It is I. Your mother._

Ryker's eyes widened and he dropped his bow in shock. The huntresses didn't hesitate. Once his weapon hit the ground they sent a volley of arrow at Ryker. He thought for certain that he was done for when he suddenly began to fall. The earth had opened a perfect circle beneath his feet and he fell through, all of the arrows sailing harmlessly over his head. He fell perhaps ten feet before he found the cave's floor. The hole he had fallen through closed above him and Ryker was plunged into darkness. "Well shit." He sighed. "Alright, listen, whoever you are, I appreciate the assistance but it wasn't necessary."

 _Yes, very much your father's son. He always believed in doing everything himself as well._ A laugh echoed around in Ryker's head. _But that's what intrigued me the most about him._

 _Look, 'mom' if it really is you, why show up now?_ Ryker demanded. _You've let me fend for myself all this time. Why take an interest now that I'm at camp Half-Blood?_

 _Because before you came here you were safe._ She said simply. A bright light suddenly illuminated the cave Ryker was standing in and a woman seemed to step forward from the earth. A woman clad in a chiton that covered her entire body. She had the same light brown hair that Ryker had and his same forest green eyes. Even her sun kissed complexion matched his own. At her side sat a golden lion that stared curiously at Ryker. "I was able to hide you in the forest, where I am at my most powerful. When Gaea made war on the gods Zeus called for all of us to fight. I was not able to continue hiding you as my power was needed to fight the Titans and Giants."

"You know, this isn't much of a reunion." Ryker remarked, watching the lion warily.

"Forgive me, I have been remiss in my duties as your mother." She opened her arms welcomingly and stepped forward. "Embrace me, my son."

"No, I don't think so." Ryker said, holding up a hand. "I don't even know your name. Besides, I'm not much for hugs."

"I suppose you are right." She let her arms fall to her side. "My name is Cybele. I am the goddess of wild animals, mountains, forests, and caverns. That is why it was so easy for me to hide your existence."

"Why hide me at all?" Ryker asked, spreading his arms wide. "Why not come find me after dad died?"

"Because coming to camp would not have been safe for you at the time." She said sadly. "I sensed the stirrings of Gaea many years before you were born. The children of the earth gods would have been put at even greater risk as you are so closely bound to the earth. There was even talk about eradicating all the demigods who were associated with the earth. When you were born I knew that I had to protect you. You are my first born son. I have borne daughters before but never a son. All my other children had taken after their mortal parents, but you were the first one whom I sensed my own powers in. When your father passed away I ensure that you would find your way into the forest. Once you were there I sent some of my most trusted forest companions to watch over you. When Pan discovered your existence it took a fair amount of convincing on my part for him not to report your existence to Zeus. He sensed that I had hidden you. But after he spent time with you he agreed that you should be hidden until the war with Gaea had ended. If Olympus had fallen it would not have mattered that I hid you regardless. All humans would have been slaughtered."

"So why not send me to camp when you realized that you couldn't hide me anymore?" Ryker questioned. He wasn't mad. If anything, he was relieved to know that he had never been completely abandoned. It had been an issue that he had struggled with for quite some time. "You knew that monsters would have come for me."

"Because you needed to grow into the fighter you are now." She said simply. "Your trials have not yet even begun, Ryker. The other demigods have been raised into the mold that all great heroes have been made from. But you are one that was shaped by a new one. You are a new type of warrior, one that fights with all the ferocity of the beasts of the forest and yet has the compassion to control the wild animals."

"So what are these trials you are talking about?" Ryker asked.

Cybele shook her head slightly. "Unfortunately it is not my place to say. Return to camp my son, and you will find out soon enough."

"Wait!" He said as she began to glow again. He half raised an arm before letting it fall to his side again. "Those marks that climb down my arms whenever the forest is hurt… what are they?"

"Ah, yes." Cybele appeared to remember something. "That was Pan's gift to both you and me. He declared you a Guardian of the Forest. That mark was a both a trump card and an added layer of protection. If the forest was ever harmed the power of the Wild would awaken inside of you and give you extra power. That is why none of the wounds you suffered ever killed you though some should have."

"Handy." Ryker admitted. "And the added protection?"

"It further disguised your presence. You can't know this, but that mark somewhat conceals your scent under the smell of the forest. Combined with my own protection monsters wouldn't notice you until you were within at least a mile of them." She moved forward and Ryker suddenly found himself wrapped in his mother's arms. He froze in surprise, but his arms moved on their own accord and wrapped themselves around her in response. "You have made me proud, my son. I suspect that you have more great things in store for you. But you will have to do them on your own without Pan's protection."

Ryker's back suddenly crawled and itched and he felt something being pulled from his very soul. When it finally stopped he felt _different._ He realized with a start that he could no longer feel the earth around him. "What just happened?" He demanded. "I thought you said that Guardian of the Forest thing saved my life! Why would you take it?"

"Because it only hindered your abilities as my son." Cybele told him firmly. "You have much more power than you know, more than perhaps most demigods. At least, when you are in the forest that is. It's time you learned to use that power. Your first test will be escaping this cavern. Remember what I told you. Everything I hold dominion over you can control as well." She began to glow again, as did the lion at her side.

"You're leaving?" Ryker found it hard to mask the disappointment in his words. "Just like that?"

"I am needed elsewhere." She told him. "But worry not, you and I will see each other again my son. But for now, enjoy your time at camp and do try to make friends. Tonight at the evening revelries I will send a sign claiming you as my son so that all may know."

"Well… good bye then." Ryker muttered. He shoved his hands in his pockets and kicked at the dirt floor of the cave. "Nice talking to you."

She smiled at him again and ruffled his long brown hair. "I have wanted to do that again for years. Good-bye my son."

Cybele disappeared in a flash of brilliant white light and Ryker was plunged into darkness again.


	7. Prophecy

Escaping the cave was no simple or easy endeavor. Ryker clawed his way to the surface and broke through the hardened dirt with a loud growl. To the camper who had been walking directly where Ryker broke through the earth it must have seemed like Gaea had returned. He went squealing back into camp and Ryker was forced to drag himself out of the earth with no assistance. He collapsed onto his back and focused on regaining his breath. The sun has set and the moon had begun its takeover of the night sky. An owl hooted in the sky and Ryker felt something land on his legs. He sat up and looked into the large glowing eyes of a spotted owl. _Hello._

Ryker rubbed his eyes with his dirt stained his hands, certain that he had heard things. He had 'spoken' with animals before but he had never gotten a true word from them. _Did you just speak?_

 _Did you?_ The owl shot back, ruffling his feathers. _Put out your arm and get to your feet. Your mother told me to keep an eye on you, so that is what I intend to do._

 _Bit bossy for a bird, aren't you?_ But Ryker did as he was told and soon he was standing. The owl walked up his arm and perched comfortably on his shoulder. Ryker winced as his talons dug through the thin camp T-shirt and into his shoulder. _So my mother sent you?_

 _That_ is _what I just said._ The owl reminded him. _Ah, you have company._

"Ryker!" Piper called as she ran up to him with Jason and an unfamiliar dark haired boy with eyes as blue as the sea. "What happened to you? What's with the bird?"

 _I am an owl._ The bird said, outraged. _And I have a name!_

Ryker blinked and glanced at the owl. _Do you?_

 _It might be a bit hard for you to say in this tongue._ The owl admitted. _Why don't you give me a name?_

"His name is Silver." Ryker said, noting the way that some of the feathers on his wings seemed to reflect silver in the moonlight. "He's a gift… from my mother."

"Oh, you met her then?" Jason nodded as if he had expected. "When Thalia said that you were swallowed by the earth we figured that you were either dragged down to Tartarus or your godly parent was saying hello."

"Tartarus… isn't that the place monsters go?" Ryker asked uncertainly.

"Yeah." The dark haired boy nodded, stepping forward. He extended a hand in greeting. "Percy Jackson."

Ryker shook the proffered hand. "Ryker…. Just Ryker." He frowned as he considered Jason's words. "You act like being dragged down to Tartarus happens a lot."

"Not really." Piper said cheerfully. "Besides, we were reasonably certain that it was your godly parent."

"So who is it?" Jason asked eagerly. "Piper and I have a bet see…"

"I think that your mother is Demeter." She offered. "Jason thinks that your parent is-."

"Cybele." Ryker said. "My mother is Cybele."

The three blinked in unison and exchanged uncertain glances. "…Huh." Percy said after a moment. "Guess we have to build a new cabin after all. And here I thought all the gods were accounted for."

"What are you talking about?" Ryker asked.

 _Idiot._ Silver pecked at his head and Ryker winced. _You are the only living child of your mother. I bet they haven't even-._

"Cybele…" Piper murmured, closing her eyes. "The Goddess of Mountains, Wild Animals, The Forest, and Caverns. She has a Roman aspect too. Magna Mater I believe."

"Actually come to think of it, I have heard of her." Jason said snapping his fingers. "Romans brought her back as a last ditch effort to win the second Punic war. It worked too, they won. I've never heard of her having any children though."

"Because there has not been a child of Cybele in close to two centuries." Chiron told them as he walked up to their gathering. "I never would have guessed that you would be a child of her, Ryker."

"Did you just insult me?" Ryker asked suspiciously.

Chiron smiled and shook his head. "Not at all. I was merely stating how surprised I am. A child of Cybele has always brought good fortune to the camp. Your sisters were among some of my favorite campers."

"Wish I could have met them." Ryker glared at the owl when it pecked at his head again. "Will you stop?" He demanded of Silver.

 _No._ The owl began to preen his feathers. _I'm hungry. I'm going hunting. I'll be back._

"Don't hurry." Ryker growled. Silver spread his wings and flew away as quiet as the night. Ryker saw the looks the others were giving him and scowled. "I can talk to animals, alright?"

Only Chiron seemed to be unsurprised by this. "Of course." He nodded. "Your sisters were able to as well. They would always have an escort by some wild animal or another."

Ryker groaned and shook his head. He wasn't sure how many more wild animals he could handle if they were as much of a pain as Silver was turning into. "Great." He muttered. "So what now?"

"Now I suppose that we should eat." Chiron told him.

He set off back down the path and the campers followed after him. "So what was your mother like?" Percy inquired. "By the way, my dad is Poseidon. God of the Sea."

"Daughter of Aphrodite." Piper did not seem at all pleased by her parentage.

"She was… mother-like?" Ryker shrugged. "I don't know. She basically said hello, told me who she was, and then left. I spent the last couple hours trying to get out of the damn hole she trapped me in."

"She trapped you in a hole?" Jason barked out a laugh and shook his head. "Sorry, I shouldn't laugh. The gods have a very odd way of showing their kids love."

"Isn't that the truth?" Piper asked glumly. "If you ever see my mother, run. She will make your love life turn into Hades."

"Noted." Ryker said carefully. "Yeah, she trapped me in a hole. I guess she wanted me to use my powers to get out, but I couldn't figure out how. I've never used any earth magic."

"It takes some getting used to." Percy said sagely. "It took me awhile to get used to all the different powers being the son of Poseidon came with. It's pretty easy to use now though. Practice and fulfilling prophecies make perfect."

An odd looking bird flapped down and perched on a stack of shields as they passed. "Speaking of Prophecies…" Piper said warily, glaring at the bird. "Hello Ella."

"Shields are not a good place for harpies to sit." She informed them. She spied Ryker and tilted her head to one side.

" _When the gate swings open,_

 _A son of the Earth will arise,_

 _And fix what has been broken,_

 _He will build the new ties._

 _Foes-_ Last bit gone. Gone With The Wind. Four hundred eighteen thousand fifty-three words."

The harpy shuffled her feet and then flew off leaving the demigods to slowly turn and gaze at Ryker. Even Chiron seemed stunned by what Ella had just said. Ryker heavily considered making a beeline for the forest and running until his legs gave out beneath him, which would have been a considerable distance. "If I'm not mistaken…" Chiron said at length, "We just heard a prophecy."

"Why do I feel like I am not going to like this?" Ryker wondered.

"I've heard her say that one before actually." Jason admitted. "I thought that she must have been talking about Demeter. But I guess…."

They all looked pointedly at Ryker. Percy walked forward and clapped him on the shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry." He told him. "There's no guarantee that the prophecy is even about you. The gods would have to issue you a quest for that to be official. They haven't given out a quest to anyone for almost two weeks. You should be fine."

"Why do I feel like you are lying to me?" Ryker wondered.

"Probably because I am." Percy admitted. "You pretty much fit the bill for that prophecy. Other than that, I don't know. I don't even know what gate you opened or how you fix it."

"I didn't do a damn thing." Ryker said loudly, drawing the attention of every person in the dining hall. He hunched his shoulders and at that precise moment Silver returned. The owl landed on Ryker's shoulder with a dead mouse clutched in his beak. An odd sound went off above Ryker's head and when he glanced up he saw an odd symbol hovering in the air right above him.

 _Hm. Not bad._ Silver said as he chowed down on the mouse.

 _Can you not?_ Ryker demanded as the symbol blazed bright and then faded into nothingness. _We are kind of being seen by everyone right now._

 _Your point?_ Silver finished off the mouse with a flourish and readjusted his position on Ryker's shoulder.

"Ryker, son of Cybele." Chiron announced clearly. The tables shuddered and seemed to shift as a new one rose out of the ground. The meal hall exploded into applause and Ryker felt his face flush crimson.

"Son of Cybele, eh?" Mr. D asked, striding through the aisles. "I guess I don't have much of a choice other than to forgive you for your… insolence earlier."

"Man, what a relief." Ryker said miserably, not at all happy about being the center of attention.

"The Gods have chosen to issue a quest." Mr. D announced loudly. The meal hall went dead silent and Ryker felt the apprehension as clearly as Silver's talons on his shoulder.

"Son of a…" He groaned when Mr. D fixed a look on him.

"You, Ryker, will go to Camp Jupiter and meet with their leadership. You will travel alone. The prophecy only specified you after all. None of that 'seven half-bloods will answer the call' nonsense."

" _Now_ you are screwed." Percy whispered.

Piper giggled nervously and Jason looked as though he wanted nothing more than to find Emma and pluck her. "What if I say no?" Ryker asked curiously.

"Some heroes have said no." Mr. D said fairly. "But in the end prophecies can not be ignored. You will fulfill it one way or another. I don't truly care either way, but if I was you I would spare yourself the aggravation. You will leave immediately. Is there anything you need?"

"Yeah." Ryker said gloomily. "A different godly parent."


	8. Journey's Start

"Come on." Percy muttered after Mr. D dismissed Ryker. "Let's go to the armory. I might not be able to go with you, but I can still help you out."

Ryker followed mutely behind him with Jason and Piper following after him. Silver was still perched on his shoulder, enjoying the looks of astonishment that people were sending him. _A quest, eh?_ The owl said contentedly. _This sounds like fun._

 _No one asked you, bird._ Ryker snarled. He winced when Silver nipped at his ear. _Stop doing that!_

 _No._ Silver began to clean the feathers of his wing.

Percy led them to a large shack that had various weapons lined up on racks and stands outside of it. Various pieces of armor were strewn about on the ground, several had claw marks or dents in them. "You will need at least some kind of weapon." Jason told him. "Do you have any in particular that you want?"

"Where's my bow?" Ryker inquired, picking up a long leaf-bladed sword and immediately putting it back down. It felt wrong. "That would be my preference."

"Yeah… about that…" Piper winced and pouted. "I tried to pick it up after you disappeared but it crumbled away into nothing."

"I sort of figured that would happen." Ryker shrugged. He smiled at her to show that he wasn't upset in the least. Now that he was no longer a Guardian of the Forest he was fairly certain that the bow would have crumbled away even if _he_ had been the one to pick it up. "I'll need one of yours then."

"We don't have any that are as big as the one you had." Percy said, disappearing within the shack. He reappeared a few moments later with a bow in each hand. He offered one to Ryker who gingerly accepted the weapon. He tested the draw weight and shook his head. He handed it back to Percy and tested the second one, shaking his head again. "These are the strongest bows we have." Percy remarked.

"They don't have enough draw weight." Ryker said disappointedly. "Besides, they're also kind of small."

"They're only small to someone who uses a bow as big as the one you had." Jason told him. "Do you just want to take one just to have one?"

"I wouldn't use it." Ryker said frankly. "It would only get me hurt if I tried to use a weapon I couldn't trust."

"Well, we can at least get you a sword." Percy disappeared inside the weapons room again, but this time Ryker followed him inside. "What kind of fighter are you? Do you prefer slashing or stabbing? And what kind of reach do you like?"

"These." Ryker said quietly, reaching forward and pulling two gloves off of the shelf. They were made out of some material that he couldn't identify and at the fingertips were several long blades of the same metal that all the weapons were made of. Some light brown metal. He pulled them on and immediately knew that he had chosen correctly. The clawed gloves felt like a natural extension of his arm.

Percy pursed his lips but he shrugged. "I guess to each their own." He said. "You would be the first to use them though. You have to get really close."

"From one extreme to another." Ryker murmured, pulling off the gloves and putting them in one of the pockets on his cargo pants. "From shooting them from far away to ripping them apart right in front of them."

"Here, take this too then." Percy pulled a dark leather duster off of a shelf and offered it to Ryker. "That coat is pretty much unbreakable. It will protect you from all poisons and venoms and it will give you a good amount of defense against any monster's claws or fangs."

 _And it will keep your talons from digging into my skin over and over again._ Ryker muttered to Silver as he swung the coat on. "Thanks." He told Percy sincerely.

They exited the shack and Jason nodded approvingly at the coat. "Nice." He remarked. "No sword?"

Ryker pulled out the clawed gloves and showed them to Jason. "Not my style." He told them.

"So, when are you planning on leaving?" Piper inquired, looking up at the dark sky.

"Now." Ryker told them thoroughly surprising them. "The sooner I get this whole prophecy thing taken care of the sooner I can go back to my forest. Where is this Camp Jupiter at anyways?"

"It's in the west." Jason told him. "I don't think I can tell you exactly where though."

"Why not?" Ryker demanded.

"Because I can't remember." Jason said honestly. "Piper and I were just talking about it. It's like someone is blocking our memory. I think that the gods want you to find it on your own. You said that you were trained by Lupa, right?"

"Of course." Ryker nodded. "She taught me a great deal."

"See if you can find her again." Jason advised. "Without some sort of help you are never going to find the entrance to the Camp. It's too well hidden."

"Well, I'll see if I can track down the she-wolf again." Ryker promised. "I doubt I will be able to though. Lupa is one of the few people who knows the woods better than I do. If she doesn't want to be found I will never find her."

"Lupa will help you if she thinks you need it." Percy told him. "She'll show up. But if she doesn't you are going to need to find some other way to find Camp Jupiter. I wish I could help you more, but I can't remember where it's at either."

"Here, take this too." Piper offered him three glass vials filled with golden liquid. "It's nectar. If you get hurt, use this. It will heal everything up to mortal injuries."

"Thanks." Ryker set them in a different pocket than his gloves. "Anything else?"

"Be careful." Percy told him gravely.

"We beat the Titans and the Giants, but they aren't gone." Jason added. "They will know about this prophecy. They always do. They are going to want to stop you at all costs."

"Joy." Ryker groaned.

"Avoid any Amazon store that you come across." Piper added quickly. "Don't ask, just avoid them. Trust me. If you do have to go in one though, just… well you'll see."

The three exchanged a look and Ryker heaved a sigh. "Well, guess I'll be going then." He said resignedly. "Thanks for the advice and the stuff. I'll…. Well I guess we will see if I come back now won't we?"

"Be careful." They told him as one.

 _I'm going to need your eyes._ Ryker told Silver as he turned and disappeared into the woods. _Would you mind keeping an eye out for me? I feel like we are going to have a bit of trouble on this trip._

 _No problem._ Silver flapped his wings twice and shot off into the night.

Ryker pulled on the clawed gloves and flexed his fingers, testing the fit. "Odd choice of weapon." Artemis remarked as she stepped out from behind a tree in the form of the young girl she had taken when Ryker had first met her.

 _I thought you were keeping an eye out!_ Ryker fumed at Silver.

 _I said I would look out._ Silver agreed. _I never said I would tell you what I saw._

 _Kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?_ Ryker snapped irritably before turning his attention on Artemis. "They're my kind of weapon." He said defensively.

"Yes, I believe they are." Artemis said thoughtfully, leaning casually against the trunk of a tree. "Off on a prophecy are you? That must be a record. Arrive at camp and get set off on a prophecy the same day."

"I want you to know that I blame you entirely." Ryker told the goddess matter-of-factly. "If you hadn't pulled me out of my forest I wouldn't have to do this stupid prophecy anyway."

"That's not true." Artemis told him. "Prophecies are always fulfilled, no matter how far you run."

"Still blaming you." Ryker said stubbornly.

"I suppose to some degree I do deserve that." Artemis conceded. She strode forward and extended her hand. "Give me your hand. I would like to offer you at least some assistance in this matter."

Ryker cautiously extended his hand and Artemis took it in her own. She pressed a single finger in the center of his palm and a white hot flash of pain lanced down Ryker's arm. "What was that?" He demanded, examining his hand for signs of damage. The skin was undamaged but at the center of his palm where Artemis had pressed with her finger was a shimmering tattoo of a bow.

"That is my own bow." She told him. "If you are ever in need, simply assume the stance you would take when firing a physical bow. My bow will appear. Be wary, the weapons of a god are not to be taken lightly. Use it only in times of utmost need. It will take a considerable toll on your body using it even once. You will have twelve shots. After that my bow will return to me."

"Well… thanks." Ryker said awkwardly. "I appreciate it."

"You are welcome." Artemis told him. She held out her hand again and this time a silver backpack, identical to the ones the Hunters wore, appeared. She offered it to Ryker who accepted it and slung it over his shoulder. "You needed supplies. Inside you should find everything you might need."

"Why are you helping me?" Ryker inquired with genuine curiosity.

"Like I said, I suppose that your current situation is at least partly my fault." Artemis inclined her head and gazed up at the stars. "Also, you reminded me of someone I met a very long time ago. Someone I once considered a very dear friend, though our parentage was quite different. Helping you is my atonement for what I did to him."

"What was his name?" Ryker couldn't help himself.

"His name _is_ Orion." Artemis told him. "He is the only one who has been able to keep with me whilst I hunt. We had always competed to see who the true greatest hunter was."

"Well it's neither of you." Ryker said confidently. "It's me."

"Is that a fact?" Artemis looked as though she was trying not to laugh. "Hm. Perhaps one day I will allow you the chance to claim that title. For now though, I must be off. Remember, do not use my bow unless absolutely necessary. There is a chance that it will reject you and simply kill you."

She faded away without another word leaving Ryker standing alone in the woods once more. "Orion, huh?" He muttered.


	9. Surprise

"Stop moving!" The cyclops roared as it hefted its weapon. It had ripped a telephone pole out of the ground and was swinging it through the air with impunity. "Let me eat you!"

Ryker ducked under the long wooden pole for the umpteenth time. "No." He said curtly. He wished now more than ever he had his bow. Ever since he had left camp the previous day he had been accosted by various monsters, all of whom were eager to devour him. Ryker had scarcely had an hour without running across some manner of creature who wanted him dead.

The cyclops raised the telephone pole above its head and brought it down in a murderous arc directly where Ryker was standing. He dove out of the way at the last possible second, a snarl on his lips. "Enough of this." He said through gritted teeth. He had been avoiding the cyclops' attacks for the past fifteen minutes and both his patience and stamina were growing thin. While the Cyclops struggled to pick the telephone pole again for another swing Ryker retreated a safe distance and pulled off his clawed gloves. Feeling only slightly foolish he assumed the stance he would have taken with any normal bow. He blinked in surprise when a large ghostly silver bow seemed to sprout from his hand. Ryker reached forward and grabbed the silver bowstring and began to pull back. As he did so an arrow appeared on the bow, elongating as Ryker drew back. The cyclops had gotten control of its weapon by this time and now advanced slowly on Ryker, eyeing the massive silver bow. Ryker aimed at the cyclops chest and released in one smooth motion. The silver arrow flew true and seemed to hit the cyclops directly in the chest. Rather than sinking into the monster's chest however, the arrow left a massive gaping hole. Ryker took a surprised step back as he peered through the monster's chest into the woods behind it. Without another sound the cyclops crumbled away into dust leaving the telephone pole to thump heavily onto the ground.

The bow fizzled out of Ryker's hand and with its disappearance came a substantial amount of pain that racked Ryker's body. It faded as quickly as it had arrived, but its presence had forced Ryker to his knees. He knelt there for a long moment before he got back to his feet and pulled his gloves back on. "Okay, using the bow brings pain." He muttered. "Good to know."

He glanced back to where the cyclops had been standing and recoiled slightly when he beheld the sight of the forest behind it. Several trees had circular grooves cut into them, and several more were on their side. Ryker stared down at his palm and then back to the woods before he closed his hand into a fist. Artemis's bow was powerful indeed. Perhaps _too_ powerful.

 _Were you planning on walking the entire way to Camp Jupiter?_ Silver asked as he fluttered down from a branch and came to rest on Ryker's shoulder.

 _No, I thought I would fly._ Ryker answered with sarcasm dripping from every word. _Of course I'm going to walk._

 _That would take forever!_ Silver complained ruffling his feathers irritably.

 _Well what would you suggest?_ Ryker snapped, moving off through the woods once more.

 _We could always steal a car._ Silver offered. _You are only a couple miles away from a small town. We could be there in an hour and have a car in no time flat._

Ryker looked incredulously at the bird. _What kind of bird are you? Isn't that sort of thing you know, against the law?_

 _Yes. Yes it is._ Silver raised her wings in what Ryker considered a bird-shrug. _But it's better than having to walk all the way there._

 _I can't drive._ Ryker argued.

 _I can._ Silver said dismissively. _Or I've watched enough humans to know the general idea._

Ryker had seen humans driving in their cars before. From what limited experience he had he knew that you had to simultaneously steer, watch where you were going, and apply pressure to something called an accelerator. He was fairly certain that Silver would not be able to accomplish two of these things at one never mind all three. _How?_ He demanded with a fair amount of exasperation in his voice. _You are a bird. With wings. I might not have much experience with cars but I know you at least need hands._

 _Oh, I haven't shown you yet have I?_ Silver realized. He fluttered off of Ryker's shoulder and came to rest on the ground in front of him. Ryker paused and looked curiously down at the little bird.

"What are you doing?" He inquired. "Look, walking isn't all that bad. You've been on my shoulder almost the entire time anyways."

Silver didn't answer. Instead he shuffled his wings and closed his eyes. Ryker opened his mouth to ask another question but it faded to nothing as Silver began to _change._ The feathers of his wings seemed to melt away until pink flesh emerged. He grew several feet in a very short time and long dark hair grew from his scalp until it was midway down his back. When Silver finally finished the transformation Ryker realized that he was very _very_ mistaken about something. "You're a girl!" He said accusingly.

"Of course I'm a girl." She said dismissively. She was wearing some sort of gown that seemed woven of the very feathers she had as an owl. She ran her hands along her arms and shivered.

"I thought you were a guy this entire time." Ryker was still unnerved by the revelation. "How can you transform like that? Can all animals do that?"

"Not hardly." Silver snorted and shook her head. "Your mother gave me this form as a gift. I helped her a long time ago and she rewarded me."

"Uh…" Ryker searched for something to say. "Very well. You said you can drive?"

"I said I know the general idea." Silver corrected. She scowled down at her gown and shook her head. "Does that pack that Artemis gave you have any other clothes in there? This is not very good for long journeys but it's what I end up wearing every time I transform back."

"Actually, yeah." Ryker swung the backpack from his shoulders and dug around inside. The bag contained a tent, some of the odd silver cords that the Hunters had used to capture Ryker, several sets of clothes that were clearly for Hunters, and various other odds and ends. He pulled the clothes out and offered them to Silver who gladly accepted them and stepped behind a row of trees. Ryker awkwardly waited for her to change, scanning the woods in the event that other monsters had come across their scent.

"Okay, much better." Silver returned from around the side of the tree and Ryker scowled immediately. Garbed in the typical dress of the Hunters, Silver looked like she belonged right among them. "What?" She asked, noticing Ryker's look of disdain.

"Nothing." He sighed. "So are you sure about this? I thought humans take exception to their laws being broken?"

"Plenty of other demigods have stolen cars before." Silver told him frankly. "And they got away without getting into trouble. I've seen them do it. Now, if you think that I am going to be flying from tree to tree across the entire country then you are absolutely wrong."

"You know, you aren't just the most bossy bird I've ever met you are the bossiest girl I've met too." Ryker growled as Silver led the way towards what Ryker assumed was the town. "Won't humans be concerned if _monsters_ start attacking a truck?"

"I doubt they would even notice. The Mist will cover them." Silver said dismissively.

"The Mist?" Ryker inquired, unfamiliar with the term.

Silver groaned and shook her head. "Typical. I get stuck with the one demigod alive who knows next to nothing about anything. Alright, listen up. Since we have some time I am going to tell you everything you will need to know about the Mist, the Greek and Roman gods, your mother, and anything else I feel like telling you about. I might even tell you about preening. It's not as easy as you'd think."

Ryker was then subjected to Silver following through on her promise. She told him about everything that she knew of. Preening included.


	10. Camp Jupiter

"Now isn't this better?" Silver asked happily as they cruised along the highway. She glanced over to Ryker and frowned slightly in puzzlement. "Are you alright?"

"I don't feel so good." Ryker complained. His stomach felt like he had just swallowed a dozen live wasps. He had felt fine up until the very moment they had stolen the car. His head and vision were swimming and he felt like he was going to pass out, vomit, or both. His condition was not aided by the fact that Silver had taken some liberties with her driving. The car they were currently in, some sleek green thing, was the second vehicle that they had stolen. The first had been left wrapped around a telephone pole. Ryker had been forced to use two of his glasses of nectar to heal him and Silver from their injuries. The remaining glass was clutched in his hands, his stomach heaving as Silver switched lanes. "Why did I let you talk me into this?"

"Because we've already made it a couple hundred miles?" She suggested brightly. Her driving ability seemed to be getting better by the second. She sped up and swerved around several cars before speeding up again. Ryker didn't bother looking at the speedometer. He didn't want to know. "Come on, you have to admit that this is easier. You don't have to worry about monsters…. Just gas. Speaking of which…" Silver began to look for something.

Ryker closed his eyes and focused on not being sick. "Gas?" He asked in an attempt to take his mind off of the matter.

"Yeah, cars run on it." Silver said absentmindedly. "People get it from these places… ah! There's one!"

She jerked the wheel and several cars honked their horns loudly as she cut them off. Ryker groaned as the sudden motion set his stomach off again. "Please tell me we are done driving." He pleaded.

"Ha! Yeah, right. Actually, according to this thing we aren't even close." Silver tapped the small device that sat on the dashboard of the car. "They said this place was in the west, which doesn't make things very easy. I figure we should start in California and go on from there."

She pulled the car up to the store and turned off the engine. "Come on," She stepped out of the car. Ryker opened his own door and rolled out. He landed on his knees and instantly felt much better. His head still swum and the nausea wasn't completely gone, but he was definitely in better sorts. Silver seemed to be struggling not to laugh as he got woozily to his feet. "Thank the Gods that the bag Artemis gave you has money in it. You're going to need some food."

"Oh, are we buying a bow?" Ryker brightened considerably. The prospect of spending several hours in the woods hunting appealed greatly to him.

Silver was quick to disappoint him however. "No, we are going to get to Camp Jupiter as soon as possible. We are just grabbing some food here. Not very good for you, but it plays the part."

She led the way into the store and Ryker felt his motion sickness return. No one appeared to be in the store, not even a clerk, which Ryker found to be wrong. He dismissed the feeling however as he still was not an expert on human habits. Silver breezed around the store with ease, quickly filling a hand cart with everything that she thought they could possibly need. Ryker followed after her, his instincts screaming at him more and more with every step.

"Hello!" A pleasant voice called from somewhere in the back of the store. "Welcome to Bargain Mart! Is everything to your liking?"

"Everything is fine, thank you." Silver assured them. "We need gas too, should we pay here?"

"Cash or card…?" The clerk pushed out of the door that led to the back and Ryker instantly knew that his instincts had been correct. The clerk was not human. She had the upper torso of a woman but her bottom half was a snake. She was almost identical to the lamia in that regard with the exception that her hair seemed to be made of snakes. "Oh! I don't suppose one of you two are the demigod who is on a quest?"

"Would you believe me if I said no?" Silver asked hopefully.

"Probably not." The snake woman admitted. "Would you like to try a free sample of our new chicken nuggets before you die? They are on sale too!"

"Stheno!" A second snake woman slithered out of the back and glared daggers at Ryker and Silver. "I told you! Stop offering free samples to the people we are supposed to kill!"

"But if I don't, how will we get better business?" She asked, injured. "We need to advertise as much as we can, Euryale!"

"Never mind advertising!" Euryale snapped. "You can advertise as much as you want after we kill them."

Ryker silently pulled on his clawed gloves and looked back and forth between the snake women with an absolutely murderous expression. "I am really, really, _really_ not in the mood for this." He warned them, flexing his hands. The metal of the claws made a metallic sound as they brushed against one another. "Do you realize how much driving sucks?"

"Feeling a bit motion sick?" Stheno asked sympathetically. "You know, I bet that some of our blood would heal you. You know, blood from the left side of our bodies-."

"Enough!" Euryale hissed, lunging forward and taking a swipe at Silver with her claws.

Silver leapt back with incredible reflexes and pulled Ryker with her. "Keep them busy!" She ordered. "I'm going to go fill up our car."

Ryker didn't answer. Silver darted out of the door, much to Euryale's annoyance. "Get back here!" She tried to slither around Ryker to give chase to Silver.

Ryker darted in close and closed one clawed hand around Euryale's head. Her skin smoked where the claws touched and she hissed in pain. She slashed at Ryker at the same time that Stheno tried to take advantage of him having his back exposed. Both of their attacks were for naught however. He jumped forward, not releasing his grip on Euryale's head, and yanked the gorgon's head back. His other hand went to her throat as she screamed. The sound was abruptly cut off when Ryker quite simply ripped her head from her body. The gorgon crumbled into a pile of dust leaving two vials behind filled with some unknown substance. Her head also remained, and Ryker tossed it at her companion. Stheno stared down at her sister's head for a long moment before looking back to Ryker.

"Now look what you've done." She said, chastising. "Now I can't offer you any free samples. We have a very strict no sample policy for people who kill us."

"Not interested." Ryker shook the ichor from his clawed gloves and warily advanced on Stheno.

When he was within a few feet she threw her plate of chicken nuggets at him and he batted it aside. She followed up the throw with a lunge at his throat. Ryker sidestepped the attack and raked his claws from her throat to a foot below where her human-half met her snake-half. She disintegrated without a sound, the same two vials on the ground. Ryker collected them and stored them in his pocket. He pursed his lips and grabbed one of the chicken nuggets that had landed on the store's counter. He popped it into his mouth as he left and shrugged. "Not bad." He commented to Silver as he rejoined her at the car.

"What?" She asked. "Done fueling by the way, guessing you are done in there?"

"They're dust." He confirmed. "Do we really have to use the car again?"

"You really hate car travel, don't you?" She asked.

"Yes." He grumbled.

Silver bit her lip and gazed at him thoughtfully. "Do you… do you mind if I try something?"

"That depends on what you have in mind." Ryker said warily.

"Get in the car." Silver told him, following her own advice. Once inside, she looked over at him and put her hands on either side of his face. "Look at me."

Ryker didn't have much choice in the matter as she forced him to by turning his head. "Okay, what are you…." His voice trailed off as he stared into her eyes.

Silver's eyes were different. A separate part of his mind told him that her eyes were those that she had as an owl. They were both captivating and hypnotic at the same time. Ryker felt himself slipping away before he even knew what was happening. In no time at all his vision had darkened and he was asleep.

He wasn't sure how long he had been out when Silver finally roused him from his sleep. "Hey!" She shoved his shoulder and Ryker was instantly wide awake.

He wished he wasn't. The car was stationary, but he still felt extremely queasy. "Where are we? How long was I out?"

"We're here… I think. And you have been asleep for three days." Silver added the last bit with somewhat of a guilty expression.

Ryker was instantly aware of his abdomen aching with hunger. "Why… what…?"

"I put you to sleep with a trick I learned for hunting prey." Silver tugged guiltily at her shirt. "I just thought… you were having a rough time… and I _really_ didn't want to hear you complaining… so I let you sleep." She added the last bit with far too much enthusiasm for Ryker's liking.

He looked around the car and found a bag of rolls, which he scarfed down voraciously. His stomach now somewhat stilled, he looked around where they were parked. Silver had pulled up on what seemed to be the entrance to a maintenance tunnel, but Ryker saw no sign of what they would be looking for. "You said this is the place?" He asked, getting out of the car.

"See those up there?" Silver pointed up at the sky.

Ryker followed her indication and saw several eagles circling in the sky. He narrowed his eyes as he considered the birds. Either they were much closed than he thought they were or the birds were absolutely massive. "Eagles?" He asked.

"Yeah." Silver's form blurred and Ryker was treated to the sight of an owl garbed in Hunter's clothes. She struggled briefly in the material before freeing herself and flapping into the air. _Eagles were a huge symbol for Rome. Those aren't normal eagles either. This has got to be where Camp Jupiter is._

"If you say so." Ryker was slightly unnerved by the transformation, but he said nothing when Silver came to rest on his shoulder. "Shall we?"

 _Maybe you should put your gloves on._ She suggested. _Just in case. By the way, you need another shower. You don't smell very good._

 _No one asked you, bird._ Ryker growled. He winced when Silver bit his ear in response. _Ouch!_

He followed her suggestion however, pulling on his gloves and walking cautiously down the tunnel. It was dark, but nothing more hostile than an errant spider web blocked their passage. On the other side, Ryker stopped. Laid out before them in the distance was a massive town. Buildings and banners stretched out for what seemed like miles. Even from as far as he was, Ryker could clearly see people milling about going about their daily lives. Several bored-looking guards stood at what he knew to be the entrance to the camp. He started their way, uncertain of how to proceed. _Any ideas on what I should say to them?_

 _Hello?_ Silver offered. Her head was tucked under her wing as she cleaned her feathers. _That seems to be where I would start._

 _Are you intentionally this infuriating?_ Ryker demanded. _Or do you make a special effort just for me?_

 _A little of both I think._ She said after considering the question.

They were both so engaged in their argument that neither of them noticed as an eagle dropped out of the sky. They weren't aware of the attack until Ryker was knocked to the earth and Silver had been grabbed. She screeched in pain and Ryker saw blood bloom from where the eagles dug into her. His vision turned red and he ripped his gloves from his hand. He had summoned Artemis's bow before he had considered the wisdom of the action. The eagle was already several hundred yards away, but Ryker knew that the bow would reach. The guards at the entrance to the camp had now seen Ryker and their weapons had been drawn. They advanced on him just as Ryker unleashed the arrow at the eagle. It flew true and soon the bird had been reduced dust. Silver fluttered weakly to the ground landing only a few feet from the three guards. One of them raised his spear is if to jab it through her chest, and Ryker's rage bloomed even further. He didn't bother grabbing his gloves. Instead, he charged at them without a single weapon. The guards saw his approach and took their defensive stances. All three of them had been in the legion for more than two years. They were very proficient with their weapons and their teamwork was second to none. They never stood a chance. Ryker tore into them with all the savagery of a wolf. He did not kill them, but when all three of them had been dealt with none of them would be leaving the infirmary for over a month.

Only when the three guards were all on the ground did Ryker finally stop attacking. He turned his attention back to Silver and gently gathered her in his arms. He reached into his pocket for the last vial of nectar and gently poured it into her mouth, which wasn't easy with an owl's beak. He waited for a long moment on bated breath as he watched the nectar go to work. He only released the breath when Silver stirred in his arms. "Are you alright?" He asked hesitantly.

 _Just fine._ She answered. _Would you mind putting me on your shoulder? I don't think I can fly right now._

Ryker did so, very gently, and then they turned back on the guards. One of them had managed to rise to his knees, but the bone that was sticking out of his arm seemed to be hindering him. _Do you think you maybe overdid it?_ Silver asked curiously.

Ryker thought back to how the guard had been about to kill Silver out of hand and his expression darkened. _They're lucky they are still breathing._ He said savagely, kicking the upright guard in the chest. He hit the ground with a cry of pain and clutched his wounded arm.

 _I think we are in trouble._ Silver remarked, nodding to the camp.

Evidently the scuffle had been seen by sentries and a large group of soldiers was now advancing on the entrance to the camp. They were led by a large man with a military haircut and a smaller girl with dark hair. The effects of using Artemis's bow hit him suddenly, driving the breath from his body. He was able to remain standing, only just, but his bow arm felt like it was on fire. "Oh, damn." He cursed. "That's not good."

 _Any ideas on how to talk your way out of this?_ Silver asked. _By the way, my way of saying hello is much better than yours._


	11. Unfortunate

The soldiers went to the aid of their wound brothers the second that they saw them lying broken on the ground. Three of them immediately began to tend to them while others formed a defensive perimeter around them, their spears and swords leveled at Ryker and Silver. At their front were a Chinese man with a military regulation haircut and a girl with blond hair and gray eyes. "Who are you?" The man challenged.

"What do you think you are trying to accomplish by attacking our sentries?" The girl demanded. "If you seek to join the legion, this is _not_ how-."

"I don't want to join your legion." Ryker said abruptly cutting off their chain of questions. "Mr. D at Camp Half-Blood sent me here on some sort of stupid prophecy."

"Did that prophecy include beating my soldiers to a bloody pulp?" The man asked. He was clearly not impressed by Ryker's declaration of being on a quest. In fact he seemed even more agitated than he had before. "And why didn't the others tell us you were coming?"

"Probably because they couldn't remember where this Camp was." Ryker said airily. His claws were still on his hands and he began to flutter his fingers slightly. He wasn't sure if these newcomers were going to attack him as well. If they were he wasn't certain that he would be able to prevail again. The other three had been painfully easy, once their cohesion had been broken they fell quickly.

The girl seemed to sense his assumption and smiled coldly. She drew a sword made of the same metal his gloves were. "You said Mr. D sent you, right?" She asked.

"I did." Ryker nodded.

"Well then, you must have been claimed by a divine parent." She continued. "Who is it?"

"Cybele." Ryker answered truthfully. "The goddess of-."

"I know who Cybele is." She snapped. "I've never heard of her having any children though."

"Her Roman aspect is Magna Mater if it helps." Ryker offered. The three sentries he had injured were being moved back to camp on stretchers carried by two of their friends apiece. "As far as those three, they were about to hurt her." He inclined his head slightly towards Silver.

"Why would they do that?" The man asked confusedly. "Did she attack them?"

"No, an eagle attacked her." Ryker corrected. "I killed the eagle and it dropped her in front of them. One of them raised his spear like he was going to stab her. I… I might have overdone it a bit." He admitted.

"I saw at least six broken bones without even looking at them." The girl said bluntly. She pulled out a spray bottle from her belt and began to spray the air. "Hang on, I'm going to sort this out. If you really were from Camp Half-Blood you have some serious apologizing to do."

A small line of colors formed in the mist left by the spray bottle and she threw a small golden coin into the rainbow. "I don't remember it being that easy." The man admitted, raising an eye when the coin vanished.

"Iris might have agreed to be a bit more lenient with her messages." The girl admitted. "Fleecy talked to her for us and we kind of renegotiated the terms for her messages so that Greeks _and_ Romans can use them. She gets as much business as Hermes these days, something she is very happy about."

"Who are you calling?" The man asked, glancing warily at Ryker before returning his gaze back to the girl at his side. "Percy?"

"Yeah, I want to see what _his_ deal is." She glared venomously at Ryker. The mist in front of her shimmered and Ryker blinked when Percy's face appeared. "Hey Seaweed Brain." She said affectionately.

"Annabeth!" He smiled back at her. "What's up? Coming back soon? How are things going over there?"

"I should be back within a week. Things are going… well I'll tell you later. As for what's up…" She pointed at Ryker. The picture of Percy followed her direction and Ryker waved.

"Oh, Ryker. I didn't think you would get there that fast. How are things?" Percy asked cheerfully, clearly not reading the tension that was evident on everyone's face.

"Not bad. I think they are mad at me." Ryker shrugged. "I might have hurt some of their guys."

Percy winced and shook his head. "Yeah… He's good Annabeth. Artemis and her hunters brought him to camp a couple days ago. He's not- he's… well you will see for yourself."

 _I think I might need to change back._ Silver told him. _I'm not feeling too well. The nectar is helping but that eagle got me pretty good._

 _Go ahead._ Ryker told her. _I'm right here if they try something._

While he was speaking with Silver Percy, Annabeth, and the man who had led the Romans to the entrance were speaking in hushed urgent tones. They seemed to reach some sort of agreement just as Ryker was setting Silver on the ground. Percy waved goodbye to Ryker and disappeared from the mist. "Alright, we're taking you to camp." Annabeth declared.

"Are you joking?" One of the girl in the ranks demanded. "Who put you in charge, Greek?"

"No one put her in charge." The man answered quietly. "That's my order as well."

"He's a _Greek_!" One of the others in the formation whined. "We've already seen they can't be trusted!"

"Listen I-." Frank's words melted away just like Silver's feathers as she transformed back into her human form.

She stood on uncertain legs just as the Romans began to advance on the two intruders, certain that they were planning an attack. Ryker stepped in front of Silver and hunched over in preparation to attack. Tensions had almost boiled over when Annabeth and the man intervened. "Enough!" He roared.

"Cut it out!" Annabeth snapped at Ryker.

"Why are you letting _more-_." One of the Romans began to ask.

"Because I am _Praetor_ Frank Zhang." He said simply. "You will obey me or be tried for treason. Any questions?"

The Romans said nothing, but Ryker was certain that he saw several unhappy glances directed at the Praetor. "Would you mind taking off your weapons?" Annabeth asked Ryker. "Otherwise this is going to be so much harder on both of us."

Ryker glanced questioningly at Silver who nodded in response. He stood up from his hunched over position and pulled off his gloves, stowing them in his backpack. "Are you alright?" He asked her concernedly.

"Fine." She answered, but Ryker was certain he had a note of strain in her voice. "I'll be better once I get some rest and some food."

"Did you want some clothes too?" Annabeth asked hesitantly. She swept her gaze over Silver's form and pursed her lips. "If you want to wear that feather dress thing, that's fine. But if I was you…"

"I would love some jeans and a T-shirt." Silver confessed. "And a shower."

"That won't be a problem." Annabeth nodded.

"Come on then." Frank told them. "I'm sure that Reyna will want to hear about this. I bet she's already been to the guys you beat down and spoken to them. Be careful… She isn't as nice as us."

"I'm not worried." Ryker shrugged. "They shouldn't have tried to hurt Silver."

"See?" She muttered. "I knew you would warm up to me."

The group of soldier took up positions around Ryker, Silver, Annabeth, and Frank. "Move out!" The praetor commanded. Instantly, the soldiers began to march forward in unison. Once they were moving along he shuffled over to Silver and leaned down. "How did you do that earlier? When you transformed from being an owl."

"I helped a goddess out a while ago." Silver told him. "She rewarded me with a much longer life and the ability to transform into an owl."

"Wait, what?" Ryker asked, thrown by this. "I thought you _were_ an owl and my mother gave you the ability to turn into a human."

"Don't be stupid." Silver laughed. The sound was remarkably similar to the hoot of an owl. "No, she gave me the ability to turn into an _owl._ "

"Can you change into anything else?" Frank asked.

"No, just an owl." She peered at him and tilted her head to one side. "You are a shifter too, aren't you?"

"How can you tell?" He asked, astonished.

"Just by the way you walk and act." Silver shrugged. "Like you aren't entirely comfortable in your own skin. I feel the same way right now."

As the soldiers marched into camp a crowd of Romans seemed to gather to see the newcomers that had caused so much commotion. Several ghostly figures drifted in and out of the humans' ranks and often in and out of their bodies themselves. One bold ghost in particular stepped forward and moved to float directly in front of Ryker. "So _you_ are the one who caused so much trouble!" He roared, drawing his ghostly sword. He swung savagely at Ryker who stepped back out of instinct. "Face me coward!"

"Get away from me." Ryker growled. He tried to push through the ghost but he was surprised when his hand came into solid contact with the spectre. The Lare seemed just as surprised, fleeing from the Greek. After that the other Lares gave them a wide berth. Ryker glanced down at the hand that had touched the ghost and realized that it was the one that Artemis had imbued her bow in. _Ten shots left._ He reminded himself.

"That's a first." Frank remarked, referring undoubtedly to the Lare being touched. "I've seen Nico do that a few times, but never anyone else. Even Hazel can't do that and she's a daughter of Pluto."

"Who?" Ryker asked, lost. He knew who Pluto was thanks to Silver's teachings but he had no idea who this Hazel person was.

"My girlfriend." Frank told him. "Actually, here she is."

A girl with dark skin and hair the color of cinnamon sprinted up to them and stepped through a gap in the Romans' ranks. "So is this them?" She asked breathlessly. She looked over Silver and Ryker with keen interest. "Huh. Shane, Victor, and Manny said that this guy was some kind of beast. I thought he must be one of Lycaon's."

"Not hardly." Ryker scowled, remembering the werewolf king. "He and his kind are unnatural."

"Because they can turn into wolves?" Silver asked pointedly.

"Because they kill for sport." Ryker corrected.

"They're from Camp Half-Blood." Annabeth answered. "And-."

"They're here on a quest." A tan-skinned girl finished. The Romans broke ranks as she strode forward, a familiar girl at her side.

"Thalia." Ryker scowled at the Hunter. Her companion strode forward and slapped Ryker across the face. Hard. "You-!"

He lunged at her but the Romans intervened before he could do anything. Ryker felt hands grab him from both sides and something sharp was placed under his throat. He didn't have to look down to know that it was some sort of dagger. He stared into the eyes of the woman who had slapped him. "My name is Praetor Reyna." She told him with a voice as soft and deadly as time itself. "Those men you hurt were my shoulders."

"Good to know." Ryker snarled. The pressure from the knife increased and he smiled goadingly at her. "Tell your little friends to let me go and let's see if you are still so calm."

"Alright, alright." Thalia said, shouldering between them and waving off the soldiers who had grabbed Ryker. "Let's all play nice for a little while, okay? We have plenty of time to kill each other later."

"Very well." Reyna said stiffly. "Bring the prisoners along to my tent." She ordered.

"I _know_ she did not just call us prisoners." Silver said, outraged.

Thalia winced in apparent sympathy. "Probably shouldn't have taken out their guards. Romans are all about unity. By doing that you pretty much slapped her and the rest of legion across the face."

"Pity." Ryker sneered. "What are you doing here anyways?"

"Oh, you know." Thalia waved a hand airily. "Keeping the peace. Following Artemis's wishes. Hunting down monsters. Keeping tabs on you."


	12. Crime and Punishment

As they walked towards what Ryker assumed was some sort of holding area he sidled over to Annabeth. "Get Silver some sort of medical treatment." He told her in a low voice. "She's acting tough but she needs treatment."

"I'll talk to Reyna." Annabeth told him. She made to move off towards the Praetor when Ryker's hand shot out and grabbed her. "What?" She asked confusedly.

"Let me make something clear to you." He murmured. "If _anything_ happens to her, I promise you I will tear this camp apart."

"Don't worry." Annabeth chided. "Reyna is angry at _you._ Not her. If anyone should be worried, it's you."

She stepped away and hurried forward to speak to Reyna. While she was doing that Silver moved forward to take her spot. "What was that about?" She asked.

"I told her to get you some medical treatment." Ryker muttered. "If things go badly with Reyna I want you to have a good chance to escape. That's the best I can do, and they'll patch you up."

"I doubt they'll do anything to harm you." Silver said confidently. "Since the gods sent you on this quest, it has to be important."

Annabeth returned and took Silver by the hand. "Come on," She said warmly, "Let's get you a shower and some clothes."

Before being led off Silver fixed Ryker with a stern look. "Don't do anything to get yourself into more trouble." She ordered him.

"She's… something." Frank remarked as he watched Annabeth lead her away. "How long have you known her?"

"About four days now." Ryker said after a moment's consideration.

"You seem to get along pretty well." Hazel remarked. "You act like a couple."

"A what?" Ryker asked.

"A couple."

"I understand that. A couple of what? Friends?" Ryker considered his last question. "I suppose we could be considered friends."

Hazel and Frank exchanged bewildered glances and let the matter drop there. Thalia watched their exchange and broke out into laughter. She laughed until tears were streaming down her face and she was clutching her sides. "I'm sorry," She said once her laughter had been beaten down to a slight hiccup. "But that was really funny."

Hazel grabbed the Hunter's arm and steered her away from the group. Reyna lifted a hand and the soldiers came to an abrupt uniform halt. Reyna turned back to Ryker and glared at him. "You. Come with me."

The soldiers parted ranks and Ryker followed Reyna into her tent. She walked around the room to sit behind a desk that was guarded by what looked like two metal dogs. Ryker narrowed his eyes at the beasts. Reyna saw his expression and smiled slightly, rubbing one of their heads affectionately. "Do you like my dogs?" She asked. "They are rather special. They have the ability to tell when someone is lying to me. If you tell the truth they are harmless… mostly. If you lie however…" She let the threat hang in the air.

"What do you want?" Ryker asked simply.

"Why did you attack my men?" Reyna snarled. Her hands were on the desk in front of her, but they were curled so tightly into fists that her knuckles were white.

"Because they were going to kill my friend." Ryker growled back. The dogs stirred, but they didn't move. Reyna seemed almost disappointed. "By the way, I've already told your friend Annabeth, but if anyone in your camp tries to hurt Silver, I will tear them apart."

"You seem protective of her." Reyna remarked. "Do you realize the position you have put me in? That you have put the two camps in? That you have put _yourself_ in?"

"No, not really." Ryker admitted.

"How long have you been at Camp Half-Blood for?" Reyna asked with a weary sigh. "If you are being sent on a quest, a prophecy no less, you must have been there for some time and yet this is the first time I have ever seen you. And I never forget a face."

"I was there for about a day." Ryker told her. "From what I can tell I'm not your typical demigod. From what Silver told me both Greek and Roman half-bloods are taken in from a young age to protect them from monsters. I was raised in the forest."

Reyna looked to her dogs as though she expected them to leap forward and tear Ryker apart. When they didn't she sent him an astonished, disbelieving look. "That's not possible." She said simply. "You would have been devoured long ago."

"He's not lying." A beautiful, singsong voice laughed. A woman strode into the tent garbed in some sort of pure white toga. Ryker blinked as he beheld her. She was absolutely stunning in every way possible. To say that she was beautiful would have been a grave understatement. In fact, she was _too_ beautiful. "But I assume that you can already tell that. Lovely little dogs you have there."

"Venus." Reyna gasped, moving out from behind her desk and sinking to one knee. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I heard about this one and I simply had to meet him." She looked Ryker over eagerly and seemed to appreciate what she saw. "Aaah yes." She breathed, her eyes closed in apparent ecstasy.

"Uh…" Ryker took a step back from the woman. "Venus… Roman goddess of love right?"

"Oh, I am not just the goddess of love." She said off-handedly. She studied Ryker some more and a slight shiver seemed to pass through her. "But for now that title is good enough. Young demigod… Your love life will be some of my finest work."

"My what?" Ryker frowned, thrown by her statement. "Your finest work? What does that mean?"

"You, who doesn't look for what a heart truly needs, will only find what you want when it is well and truly gone from you." Venus smiled winningly at him. "But I believe that will only make you stronger. Stronger in what way however, that much I would very much like to see."

"My lady, I have been told that he is here on some sort of quest." Reyna said uncertainly. "Could you perhaps, possibly, give us some direction on the matter?"

"Hm…" Venus pursed her lips and considered the question. "I suppose a helping hand is warranted here, before things get too out of hand. You are having trouble keeping the camps from going to war, correct? Well, he is who the gods have agreed upon to help you with the matter. Good luck!"

"Hey! Wait!" Ryker tried to grab her arm but the goddess vanished before he could do anything. He cursed and kicked at the floor of the tent with his boot. "Are they deliberately this unhelpful, or am I just not having any luck?"

"By their nature the gods are usually less than helpful when it comes to these things." Reyna said tiredly. She returned to her desk and collapsed into her chair. She buried her face in her hands and shook her head. "But they did at least give us _something_ to help with our current problem."

"Current problem?" Ryker asked warily. "What problem?"

"You said you were raised in the forest, right?" Reyna asked. Ryker nodded and she continued on. "Well how much do you know about the current situation between the camps?"

"Everything, I think." He scratched the back of his head absentmindedly. "Silver told me everything she knew. The two camps are aware of each other now, which hadn't happened before right?"

"Correct." Reyna nodded. "I'm sure you can imagine, but this had posed some problems. For the most part everyone is happy with the arrangement… or at least they were. Recently tensions have been rising again. Monster attacks have become as frequent as they were when Gaea had been rising. On top of that it is my belief that not everyone was happy with the cease-fire agreement between the Romans and the Greeks. Annabeth has been here in an attempt to assure the senate that the Greeks mean us no harm. It is that much harder because of what you just did."

"They attacked first." Ryker said stubbornly.

"I understand that, which worries me greatly." Reyna told him. "I was the one who put those three on guard duty myself. As I said, not everyone is happy with the peace. Some Romans are of the opinion that we should wage war on the Greeks. Prevent treachery as it were. Those three have been on that side, I have been told. At first the idea did not seem to have much backing, but recently…."

"But recently, what?" Ryker prompted.

"Recently several Greeks from Camp Half-Blood have gone missing as I understand it." Reyna said heavily. "We have lost several of our own as well. It is not uncommon to lose soldiers. It is even more common to lose demigods. At the sites of all the attacks have been some sort of clothing or item from the opposing camp."

"You think that some of the Romans and Greeks are behind the attacks?" Ryker asked.

"I do not think so." Reyna shook her head. "Each of the Roman demigods who are missing were key parts of the senate or were well-known leaders among their cohorts. The most recent was a Centurion by the name of Dakota. A camp Half-Blood T-shirt was found beside his flash of Kool-Aid."

"Kool-Aid?" Ryker inquired.

Reyna waved a hand dismissively. "It's a drink he was fond of. It matters not. What does matter is that these attacks are causing fear and panic to set in at both camps. With those come blame. The Romans are pushing for the senate to deny any Greeks entrance to the camp. I understand that Camp Half-Blood is dealing with similar issues."

"So if it's not any of the campers, then who is it?" Ryker asked.

"We do not know." Reyna said heavily. "But what I do know is that I can't continue to ignore these issues any longer. I firmly do not believe it is the Greeks, but soon enough I will be forced to act. I would rather avoid that. A war between the Greeks and Romans has never ended well."

"He will build the new ties…" Ryker muttered, quoting the prophecy Ella had spouted in Camp Half-Blood. "I bet this is it. Don't know what door is open though."

"I beg your pardon?" Reyna asked.

"Nothing." Ryker said, waving a hand. "I think the gods sent me to fix your problem."

"Yes, I believe that as well." Reyna nodded. "Which doesn't make this any easier."

"Doesn't make what any easier?" Ryker asked warily.

"A Greek intruded on our camp and wounded our soldiers." Reyna sighed. "As Praetor I have to hand out a punishment befitting the crime. If I didn't, my leadership would be called into question and I would be thrown out as Praetor. I am one of those who stand in the way of this conflict. If I am to remain there, I need to issue you a punishment."

Ryker was by no means a stupid person. He understood completely what Reyna meant and he found himself actually growing to like the woman in spite of their tense first encounter. "I understand." He said after a time. "I don't like it, but I understand. What did you have in mind?"

Reyna bit her lip and sighed. "How high is your pain tolerance?" She asked finally.


	13. Mars

His pain tolerance was very high as it turned out. Reyna had several Romans escort Ryker out to the center of the city while she went to look for something. They tied Ryker's hand around a large wooden pole and ripped the Camp Half-Blood T-shirt off his back. Ryker could have escaped, he knew he probably _should_ have escaped, but something he could not put his finger on kept him there. He wasn't entirely certain what punishment Reyna had in mind. Bound as he was, he did not see her when she returned. Dozens of Romans had gathered around the clearing, all of them staring at the Greek with mixtures of contempt and something that bordered on pity. "Romans!" Reyna called. Instantly everyone quieted. "Before you is the one who hurt our brothers-in-arms. I have listened to his side of the story and theirs as well. Harming a Roman in cold blood is cause for immediate execution. All of you are aware of this. But after listening to both sides of the story I have decided that this Greek was simply defending his companion. However, harming the guards as he did cannot go unpunished. As Praetor, it is my duty to issue out a fitting punishment. Had he been one of the legion I would have cast him out and that would have been the end of it. As he is not, I have decided that thirty lashes will be his punishment."

Ryker heard something heavy unfurl and hit the ground. Reyna strode around to where he could see her and she knelt down beside him. "Put this in your mouth." She muttered. She pulled a piece of fabric out of her cloak and placed it between Ryker's teeth. "Try to bear the pain."

She swept away and moved to stand in front of Ryker. She crossed her arms and nodded to someone whom the bound man could not see. He heard something whistling through the air and a moment later something slammed against his back and knocked the air from his lungs. The pain came a moment later. An involuntary groan ripped itself from his throat and Ryker slumped forward. The cloth in his mouth nearly slipped out, but he managed to reclaim it just as the second strike snapped against his back. He managed to keep the groan from escaping him a second time, but the third strike wrung one from him. "Ryker!" Silver's shout echoed across the clearing and the sounds of a squabble ensued. "Let me go! He hasn't done anything wrong!"

"Hold her!" Reyna commanded.

"Reyna, what are you doing?" Annabeth demanded. "He's on a _quest_! The gods sent him on this quest themselves!"

"He spilled Roman blood!" Reyna shouted back. "By our laws retaliation is required."

"He was _defending_ me!" Silver spat. "Against your soldiers!"

The lashes had continued throughout all of this, but Ryker had lost count of how many they were on. "Be that as it may, he went too far."

"You know, I don't think that is entirely true." A man dressed in ornate battle armor said fairly as he appeared in front of Ryker in a flurry of dancing flames. In one hand he held a massive spear that stood as tall as he was, probably about ten feet. In the other hand he held a large square shield that he leaned on. "In battle there really is no 'too far'. After battle there is, that is certain, but during the battle the one who survives is the one who does whatever it takes to win. I thought you Romans would understand that better than anyone."

Everyone assembled sank to one knee and even Ryker breathed out a silent thanks for the gap in the lashes. The massive man turned back to regard the bound man and the ropes that bound Ryker's hands burned away. The fire might have brushed his skin, but the pain was lost among the absolute agony that was his back. Ryker managed to keep from falling face forward on the dirt, but only just. "Lord Mars." Reyna said, gazing up at him uncertainly. "Your presence honors us. What can we do-."

"This one." Mars pointed at Ryker with his spear. "Stop punishing him. This time anyway. Plenty of time for that later. For now, heal him as best you can. He has a job to do."

"Of course My Lord." Reyna nodded. "We have been told that he is here on some sort of prophecy, could you tell us what that prophecy is?"

"I could." Mars seemed to consider the question. "But I'm not going to. That's for him to figure out." He pointed at Ryker again, who had apparently lost consciousness.

Mars sighed and snapped his fingers. Instantly his spear turned into a vial of golden liquid. He poured it over Ryker's back and the demigod's wounds began to smoke and close at the same time. Soon the only thing that was left of the wounds were slightly pink scars along his back. Mars snapped his fingers again and Ryker shot up, drawing in a raspy breath of air. His hands went to his back and he frowned when they came away without any blood. He got shakily to his feet and gazed up at Mars. "God?" Ryker guessed. When Mars nodded Ryker shrugged. "Figured as much."

"So it's true." Mars seemed to look Ryker over like Venus had only an hour before. "Raised to fight like the beasts rather than a man. You chose claws over a sword as well. Not bad, not bad. Fighters like you were always some of my favorites. The Romans are great and all with their formations, but fighters like you are always the most fun to watch. That style is going to cause you trouble in the future though. You are going to need to depend on more than just yourself in the coming days."

"What does that mean?" Ryker asked, crossing his arms. "You gods haven't told me _anything_ about what I'm supposed to do here. Am I here to figure out what's been-." Ryker's voice was suddenly gone, as though it had been stolen away.

"That's a conversation for another time." Mars told him. "With someone else. I'm just here to stop them from completely alienating you. The Romans and the Greeks are going to need you, and soon. Even the Gods aren't sure of what your true role in what is to come will be. But you will be very necessary. So on that end I am going to give you something. A blessing and a curse."

Ares seemed to shrink until he was just under seven feet tall. He placed his hand on Ryker's head and spoke, "You, who fights like a beast of the wild, will become more and more like a beast the more you fight like one."

"What does that mean?" Ryker asked again. He was becoming more and more infuriated by the way that the gods seemed to dance around every single question that he asked of them. "More like a beast?"

"You will see soon enough." Mars told him. "For now, put out your arm."

Ryker hesitantly complied and the god wrapped his wrist with his massive hand. Ryker's skin burned white hot and when Mars removed his hand a mark was left there. The letters SPQR were tattooed onto his flesh just at his wrist along with the symbol of a howling wolf. "That's not a normal symbol." Mars told him in a voice so low that Ryker was certain he was the only one who could hear him. "That is the mark of the hunter. What you were speaking of earlier, start there. Whoever, or whatever, is taking these demigods has a plan in store. None of them have been sent to the Underworld, which means they are still alive. Find out who is taking them and there will be the start of your quest. Be careful, not even the gods know who the culprit is."

"I don't suppose that you can give me something else besides just that?" Ryker complained, but he was secretly glad of the direction.

"Hm…" Mars looked him over and his gaze fell on the hand that contained Artemis's bow. "I see you carry the weapon of a Greek God. Seems only fitting that you should carry a Roman one as well."

Mars grabbed Ryker's other hand and pressed his finger into the center like Artemis had when she imbed her bow in his other hand. "There. I think _that_ is more suited to your fighting ability. Use it only when you absolutely need to. You have three uses."

"Artemis gave me twelve shots." Ryker remarked, examining the symbol of the flaming spear that Mars had left on his palm.

"I gave you three uses because that is all your body can handle." Mars told him sternly. "Any more and you would… well. Use it anymore and you will see for yourself."

Mars turned back to the assembled Romans and grew back to his former ten foot stature. "Any questions? No? Good. Help him any way you can." Without another word Mars disappeared in a pillar of flames.


	14. Aftermath

The Romans seemed somewhat in a daze immediately following Mars's sudden disappearance. Reyna was the first to get slowly to her feet. She gazed with mild disbelief at Ryker who was examining his Mars-touched-palm with interest. The others slowly got to their feet as well, all of them now looking at Ryker with something that resembled awe. Even Silver seemed slightly stunned. She picked her way across the clearing and grabbed the hand that Mars had touched, examining the flaming spear mark that the god had left behind. "What did he tell you?" She asked finally, dropping his hand.

"I'd rather not say it more than once." Ryker told her. He nodded to Reyna who seemed to wake up from her daze and resumed her brisk manner.

"Mars himself has appeared before us and offered this _Greek_ demigod his own blessing." Reyna declared. "He has marked him with the brand of the legion. As directed, we will offer him all the help we can on his quest."

The assembled Romans, with the exception of a few grumbles in the crowd, seemed to accept Reyna's words and began to disperse. Reyna strode over to Ryker and offered him her hand. "I am sorry," She told him. "That I had to put you through that. Is your back alright?"

Ryker rolled his shoulders and nodded. "Yeah, good as new." He said, "Whatever that big guy with the spear poured on me it healed the cuts. No harm done. Did you want me to tell you what he said?"

"If you wouldn't mind." Reyna nodded.

Frank and Hazel joined them in the center of the field. Ryker couldn't help but notice that Frank seemed rather pale. "So, guess you met my old man?" He asked Ryker glumly. "At least you met Mars instead of Ares. Mars at least is _kind of_ cool. Ares is just a jerk."

"Haven't met him." Ryker said. "I've met five gods now, but he hasn't been one of them."

" _Five_?!" Hazel repeated, her mouth dropping open in shock.

"Well, four if you don't count my mother." Ryker nodded. "But yes. I just met Venus inside Reyna's tent."

They looked to the Praetor for confirmation and Reyna gave an uneasy nod. "It's true." She sighed. "Come on, let's head back to my office. I expect that whatever Mars told you will have something to do with my missing legionnaires."

"It does." Ryker nodded. "Also, can I get my bag back? It was a gift from Artemis. And it has my weapons in it."

"Speaking of weapons, what did Mars mean when he said you fought like a beast?" Hazel asked.

"I expect that he meant exactly what he said." A quiet voice came from the shadows of a banner from their right as they passed by it. Ryker raised an eyebrow in surprise when a young and very pale demigod with hair the color of midnight simply emerged from the shadows. "Mars does not mince words."

"Nico!" Hazel said happily, throwing an arm around the newcomer and planting a kiss on his cheek. "You should have told me that you were stopping by! I thought you were back at Camp Half-Blood spending some time with Will,-."

"I was, I was." Nico said, his pale cheeks gaining some color as he blushed. "But Chiron asked me to check up on the Underworld to see if any of the missing demigods had shown up there. None have by the way. When I get back Will told me how some new demigod had shown up, killed a lamia, and got sent off on a quest. Since Jason is busy building a temple at Camp Half-Blood and I'm sort of an ambassador between the camps, I thought it might be alright if I stopped by."

"Of course it is!" Reyna smiled at him and wrapped him in a tight hug. "You know you always have a home here, whenever you want it."

Nico shuffled his feet, embarrassed, but Ryker could feel the joy that seemed to roll off the pale boy in waves. "Yes, well… Like I said I came to meet him." He looked Ryker over and his eyes narrowed. The son of Hades examined Ryker as he walked a circle around him. "That wound on your throat… When did you get it?" Nico asked.

"A few years ago." Ryker touched a hand to the top of the cut that ran from his throat to his navel. "Why? Something wrong? Come to take me back to the Underworld son of Hades?"

Nico blinked and frowned, but it was Hazel who asked the question; "How did you know he was a son of Hades? Have you met one before?"

"No, he smells like death." Ryker told them, tapping the side of his nose with one finger. "Death has… a very _distinctive_ scent."

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you." Nico sighed as though he had heard this many times before.

Everyone seemed shocked when Ryker patted Nico on the head awkwardly. "I don't fear death." He told the young demigod. Ryker, who had been raised to trust his instincts, was very hyperaware of other people's thought and emotions. He could not read minds, but he could tell enough off of body language to understand what an animal was doing. It had saved his life more times than he could count. He could tell that Nico had gone through a great ordeal of pain in his young life, far too much than anyone had a right to.

Ryker blinked and removed his hand from Nico's head. The reassuring gesture was not like him at all. Even the nymphs and dryads of the forest had scarce managed to pull a smile or laugh out of him. But seeing someone like Nico who had clearly gone through so much seemed to agitate Ryker's protective instincts. "Everyone fears death." Nico told him confidently, somewhat thrown by his pat on the head. "That's just human nature."

Ryker simply smiled in response. It was a smile devoid of any warmth. The group stood there awkwardly before Reyna cleared her throat loudly. "Well then, let's go shall we?"

They walked silently into Reyna's office, her metal dogs rising from where they had been sitting to greet their master. Reyna shooed them away and leaned against her desk, her arms crossed. "Would you mind telling us what Mars said now?" She asked Ryker.

Ryker quickly repeated what the god had told him while the other listened intently. When he finished they all seemed to be considering the god's words. "Well, to hear that they are alive is good news at the very least." She offered.

"I just told you that." Nico said sourly, scowling at the Praetor.

"It always helps to get multiple opinions."

"Next time _you_ go to the Underworld." Nico shot back.

"So the gods want you to be the one who figures out what's going on?" Frank asked uncertainly. "That's not going to be very easy. We've been trying to catch whatever it is for _weeks_ now and we haven't even seen them."

"Probably because you aren't used to hunting something as smart as yourself." Ryker told him. "Whatever is taking these campers, it doesn't want to be caught. It's smart. Reyna told me that all the campers that have been taken were vital parts of your legion."

"It sounds like you have a plan." Silver noted. She began to examine her arms with mild interest, almost as though she wished she had feathers to preen. "Unless, of course, you have developed a propensity for stating the obvious."

"I like her." Thalia declared, smiling at Silver. "You would make a good Hunter. Ever think about joining up?"

"No one asked you." Nico snarled. Ryker caught the look of tension and anger that Nico and Thalia shared before they both looked away from one another. There was bad blood there, of that much he was very certain.

"At any rate," Reyna said, bringing attention back to the matter at hand. "Yes, every one of the Roman legionnaires who have been taken have been upstanding members of the camp. I assume that it is the same with the Greek camp?"

"That's right." Annabeth nodded grimly. "On top of that it doesn't look like they are going after just the major gods either. A child of Hypnos was taken just two weeks ago. Like I said, it seems like they are going for campers and legionnaires who are well known."

"We've tried to bait them out." Frank told Ryker. "We had some of our more distinguished soldiers on guard duty one night with a few dozen watching them from a hidden spot a few hundred feet away, but nothing."

"Of course not." Ryker snorted. "Any hunter would be able to sense a trap like that from a mile away. No, you won't catch him."

"Then what would you have us do?" Reyna asked. "Let our campers be taken one by one until whatever plan they abductors have comes to fruition?"

"No, but it would make my job a lot easier." Ryker sighed. "Just keep things going like they are now. Don't act like anything is different. As far as you know nothing will be. Like Silver said, I have an idea. I'm not sure how well it's going to work but we will see."

"Are you going to tell us what your plan is?" Hazel demanded. "Because I would _really_ like to know."

"I am not." Ryker told her. "You would just get in my way. The sooner I wrap this up the sooner I can leave."

"What do you mean 'leave'?" Reyna asked. "The gods have issued you a quest, you must see it done."

"They told me to find out whoever it was that is taking your people." Ryker corrected, deliberately forgetting the prophecy. "Once I find that out I'm leaving. For now though, I'm here. Did you have any plans for tonight? Anything big?"

"Just a game of capture the flag, right?" Annabeth asked Reyna.

The praetor nodding in confirmation. "Yes." She examined Ryker through narrowed eyes as though she could not figure him out. Perhaps she couldn't. "Are you going to participate?"

Ryker glared at Thalia. The Hunter blinked but grinned back at him and winked. "Aw, come on." She cooed at him maddeningly. "You aren't still angry at that are you?"

"Yes." He snarled. He reached into his bag, which had been brought back to him by one of Reyna's dogs, and pulled out his claws. "I'll tear you apart for dragging me into all of this."

The others took a wary step back. All except for Nico who rolled his eyes and chuckled darkly. "I think I know what Mars said when he said 'more like a beast'." He commented airily.

"Yeah, no kidding." Frank muttered, still watching Ryker warily even as he stowed the claws back in his bag. "But I don't like the way my dad said he was giving you a blessing _and_ a curse. That never turns out well."

"First time for everything." Silver told him loftily, her gray eyes sparkling with delight. "This is more fun than I have had in _such_ a long time."

"Glad you are enjoying yourself." Ryker said dryly, glaring at the owl-woman.

"Thanks. You too."

"I'm not enjoying myself." Ryker answered.

"As _much_ as I enjoy this conversation, I have other things to get to. Frank I'm sure that you do as well." Reyna told him. "Actually, I needed to discuss the Second Cohort with you. Oh! Speaking of cohorts, Ryker you need to join a cohort. I don't suppose you have any letters of recommendation? No? Of course not, that would be too simple. I don't suppose you have a preference."

"Does not joining one count?" He wondered. "I would prefer not to join one. Like I said, I'm not staying. I know that Lupa taught all of you to rely on the pack for strength, but that's not the lesson she gave me."

"You've spent time with Lupa?" Frank's surprise could not have been plainer on his face.

"I thought Lupa brought everyone she trains here, or at least shows them the way?" Nico wondered aloud.

"She does." Hazel said, just as lost as the others.

"Lupa does what she thinks is best for each demigod." Reyna said uncertainly. "But I've never heard of her letting a demigod return to the wild. At any rate, Ryker, you have to join a cohort if only just for show."

"Why not see how each of the cohorts fight tonight?" Frank suggested. "They will all be participating. You can see which one you like best from there."

"Fine, but I'm playing too." Ryker warned, shooting another glare to Thalia. "I have a debt to settle."


	15. Control

Unfortunately Ryker's debt with the Hunters would not be settled that day as it turned out. Thalia and the other hunters left several hours after the meeting in Reyna's office without a word to anyone. When Ryker was told he was livid. "Why that little…" He thought for a long moment about going after them but he knew that their head start would be insurmountable in this unfamiliar territory.

"You really don't like her, do you?" Nico asked curiously from where he stood leaning against the foundation of a wall. The Romans had been busily building the defenses for the game of capture the flag while Ryker wandered around the camp. Silver had gone with Annabeth to do what they referred to as 'girl things'. Ryker had followed them out of simple curiosity and had been rebuffed with an enthusiasm that bordered on violent.

"She's the reason I was dragged into this mess." Ryker growled. He was sat on the ground a few feet away from Nico. He had spent the better part of the last hour surveying the defenses and debating on whether he would like to be on the offensive side of the game or the defensive. Both had their appeal. "She and the other Hunters along with Artemis came and dragged me out of my forest. Literally."

"I know the feeling." Nico told him sympathetically. Ryker sensed that the pale little demigod had more to say on the matter, but he remained silent. "So what's your plan for catching whatever this thing is?"

"Bait." Ryker shrugged. Nico sent him a blank look and Ryker elaborated, "If what they said is true and the only thing that makes this thing interested are campers and legionnaires who distinguish themselves then the only thing for it is to figure out who the next target would be."

"So that's why you are in the game." Nico nodded. "You want to see who would fit the description."

Ryker nearly smiled. "Exactly," He nodded, impressed. "Whenever you hunt something knowing what it eats is half the battle."

"What's the other half then?" Frank asked interestedly, striding up to them. He had a spear in one hand and a shield in the other.

"The kill." Ryker's mouth curled up in an expression that was equal parts joyful and savage. "You can lay a perfect trap and have your quarry fall right into it, but you will almost always have to make the kill yourself."

"Why not just make the trap kill it?" Frank inquired. "It would save a lot of trouble."

"Because that takes all the _fun_ out of it." Ryker laughed softly. "Every creature deserves the chance to fight for its life."

"What about whatever it is that's taking the campers?" Nico's words were neutral but his eyes had narrowed. "Are you going to let _it_ fight for its life?"

"That's a special case." Ryker allowed. "I doubt that it would fall into a trap. A normal one at any rate. It's too smart."

A horn blew in the distance and a black Pegasus flew into the air with a rider on its back. "Gather for the games!" Reyna shouted from where she sat on the horse. The Pegasus whinnied its agreement.

Nico melted into shadow and Frank began to walk back to where two large groups of people were forming up. Another two legions were making their way behind the walls, manning the contraptions that were interspersed along the stone. Ryker looked back and forth between the groups one last time before quickly climbing up the wall. He somersaulted over the stone and turned to regard his opponents. They had formed into two rough rectangles with their shields arranged in front of them to provide optimum defense. A large elephant stood between the ranks garbed in what appeared to be heavy black leather armor. Ryker raised an eyebrow at the beast but he said nothing. One of the legionnaires on the wall seemed to be in charge of the others and Ryker sauntered over to her. She spied Ryker and frowned. "Who are you?" She challenged, leveling her sword at him.

Ryker held up his arm to show his SPQR tattoo and the mark of the hunter that went along with it. "I'm your new best fighter." He told her. "And you are?"

"Margaret." She said after a moment. She looked him up and down and her eyes narrowed. Ryker took the moment to examine her as well. She was in excellent physical condition and ten stripes accompanied her SPQR tattoo, along with the symbol of a bow. "So you're the one Mars met, eh?"

Ryker didn't bother answering, already regretting his decision to introduce himself. Margaret seemed equally as uninterested in the conversation. "From what I heard you caused quite a bit of trouble for those three guys on guard duty." She told him as she turned to walk away. "You haven't been trained in the legion. You would just get in our way. Just cause them as much trouble as you can, got it?"

She walked away and began to berate a young looking kid who had somehow managed to snap the head off of his spear and simultaneously knock the person next to him unconscious. Ryker pulled on the clawed gloves and flexed his fingers. His stomach curled with anticipation as the ranks on the ground began to move towards the stone walls. The contraptions immediately began to fire high pressure blasts of water, stones, and even something that exploded into fiery balls of fire at the oncoming Romans. To their credit the oncoming ranks barely wavered under the assault although several did fall out and run scurrying back where they had come. The elephant trumpeted and charged forward suddenly, aiming directly for the wooden gate. Ryker didn't bother to try to stop the pachyderm from its assault. He stood there calmly with his arms crossed as the elephant hit the door with several thousand pounds of force. Ryker raised an eyebrow as the wood groaned but did not break. The elephant began to back up for what Ryker guessed was another attack on the gate when the water cannons on either side of the gate fired their payload directly at the beast. The elephant roared in pain and retreated back with angry red welt across its gray flesh. The attackers had used the elephant's attack as a diversion and had closed the distance to the walls. One particularly brave Roman vaulted up the wall directly in front of Ryker. He stabbed his sword at Ryker with a positively fierce snarl. Ryker waited until the tip of the sword was nearly touching him before sidestepping. The attacker, who had been expecting to encounter resistance, staggered forward in shock. He was airborne before he realized what was happening. He flew off the wall just as fast as he had appeared. Ryker didn't bother to see where he landed or even if he was hurt. Other attackers were now on the wall and several had made directly for the banners that were rippling in the breeze. Ryker immediately leapt off the wall and began to pursue the Romans who had gone after the flag.

The other defenders succeeded in holding off the attackers just long enough for Ryker to catch up to them. He didn't help them fight however. Ryker ran past them and leapt onto the raised platform where the banners stood. Once the attackers managed to overwhelm the defenders they looked up with some sort of relief until they saw Ryker standing above them with a grin that bordered on manic painted on his face. "This is _my_ banner." He declared.

The attackers wavered slightly but they seemed to steel their resolve. That is, until Ryker jumped off the platform and descended on them with all the precision of a hawk snatching up a mouse. The Romans had not had time to form up before Ryker attacked. They fought as best they could against the Greek, but the battle was over as soon as it had begun. The Romans were sprawled out over the ground with various wounds marring their bodies. They each spotted several bruises and more than half of them had a broken bone. One girl's shoulder had been shredded by Ryker's claw and blood pulsed onto the ground with every beat of her heart. The invisible Roman medics pulled them off the battlefield before Ryker could even return to his place on the platform. The few Roman attackers who had seen Ryker's dismantlement of their comrades seemed unnerved by the eerie calmness that the Greek exhibited. "I wondered where I would find you." Frank shouted to him as he marched forward with a two ranks of six soldiers following behind him. "Figured it would be where the fighting would be the thickest."

"Come to play?" Ryker asked eagerly, stepping off the platform and landing gracefully on his feet. He fell forward into a crouch with his claws held at the ready. He could _smell_ the unease and fear that seemed to roll off the soldiers that followed Frank, but the Praetor himself was just as calm as Ryker was.

"Came to get the banner, actually." Frank corrected.

Ryker frowned at the words but he caught the slight flicker of Frank's eyes as he looked at something behind Ryker. Just as Frank's eyes shifted targets Ryker felt something shift in the earth below him. He whirled around just in time to see Hazel emerge from a tunnel in the earth. She jumped out of the hole and sprinted for the banner. A feral snarl ripped itself from Ryker's throat and he fell forward until he was parallel to the earth. When it looked like he was about to fall on his face Ryker's leg moved forward and he shot off after Hazel, determined to stop her from taking the banner. Frank shouted something behind Ryker but he barely noticed, intent as he was on his prey. Hazel had just managed to step onto the platform when Ryker caught up to her. She was reaching for the banner when Ryker's clawed hand closed around her forearm. With another roar he flipped her off the stage and onto the oncoming Roman ranks. Hazel narrowly avoided being impaled by several of the spears, but she did manage to take down one full rank. They fell backward in a tangle of armored legs, spears, and shields. Ryker had no time to revel in his victory as just then a massive bear seemingly appeared out of nowhere. He narrowly managed to duck a massive paw aimed at his head and danced back a few steps as he beheld his new opponent. The rank that was still functional seemed to be hanging back, waiting for the bear to attack. Ryker's eyes narrowed as he studied the bear. It didn't _smell_ like any bear he had known. In fact, it didn't smell like a bear at all. It smelled like….

"Well, well, well, that's a nice trick you have there Frank." Ryker laughed again, a mirthless cold sound. "I'm going to borrow you, if you don't mind."

Ryker's eyes glowed a bright yellow, much like a cat's in the dark, and the bear that was Frank stumbled back. _My mother is the goddess of wild animals._ Ryker told Frank in the same way that he spoke to Silver. _I can control them. And right now you fit the bill. Like I said, I'm borrowing you._

The surprise on the Romans' faces when their Praetor turned on them and began to toss them aside with paws the size of frying pans was almost enough to make Ryker pity them. Almost. He directed Frank to dispatch first the rank that had been left standing and then the rank that had been the cushion that Hazel landed on. The daughter of Pluto watched in growing confusion as her boyfriend seemingly betrayed his comrades. She was even more confused when Ryker directed the bear to get rid of her as well. Frank advanced on her and raised a paw to do just that when his form shivered and the body of the bear melted away. He fell onto his knees right in front of Hazel with sweat dripping down his face. "Hm." Ryker mused, "I guess you can revert back whenever you want. Interesting."

Reyna's whistle sounded overhead and she called, "Time! Assemble for honors!"

Ryker grabbed the banner and draped it over his shoulders as he sauntered past Hazel and Frank. The Praetor looked at Ryker with something akin to fear as he passed while Hazel looked at him with pure confusion. "What did… How…?" She couldn't seem to find the words to express her thoughts.

"You have your powers, I have mine." Ryker laughed with genuine delight. "This was actually kind of fun. I wouldn't mind playing again sometime."

 **Hello, hello my readers. Hallowed here. I just wanted to thank all of you for taking the time to read this story. It means the world to me, truly it does. You guys and girls are the best, truly. Cheers, Hallowed**


	16. Defeat and Loss

"Have fun?" Silver asked interestedly when she found Ryker wandering around the camp. The Romans had gathered for some manner of after-game celebration.

"I think I scared Frank," Ryker said without a trace of care. "He transformed into a bear and I made him attack his friends."

"Well, people generally don't like being controlled." Silver advised. "Did you at least apologize?"

"No." Ryker narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the trees that lined the very edges of the Roman city. He had done some more research in the aftermath of the game and had discovered that each time a legionnaire had been taken no one had seen them disappear. It was as though they had simply vanished into thin air during the night.

Silver saw his studious expression and raised one eyebrow. "So what's this plan of yours?"

"Find whatever it is." Ryker said simply. "Whatever it is won't expect to be hunted back. The camps are on the defensive right now."

"So what, are you planning on wandering into the woods alone?" Silver asked, not following.

"Something like that." Ryker glanced over at the horizon, watching as the sun began to disappear. "There's not much time left in the day. If this thing is going to attack, it will attack when darkness first sets."

Silver watched him carefully as he pulled on the clawed gloves and shrugged off the backpack. "I was joking about the whole walking into the forest alone thing." She told him haughtily. "I was sent to keep an eye on you, I wouldn't be doing my job if you got captured."

"If you want to go with me, go as an owl." Ryker told her. "That way even if I get caught you will have an idea of whatever this thing is to take back to Reyna and the others."

"Are you expecting to get caught?" Silver asked.

Ryker allowed himself a rare grin. He wouldn't admit it, but he was looking forward to tracking down whatever it was that had the demigods in such a panic. Whatever manner of creature it was, Ryker was certain that he would be able to best it. "I'm planning on killing it." He said quietly.

"I thought you were planning on setting some sort of trap?" Silver reminded him.

"I am." Ryker nodded. He examined the gloves one more time before tossing her the backpack. "If it comes for me, I want you to keep an eye out."

Silver watched him as he walked off towards the woods with confidence seeping from him. The nervous looking guards nearly jumped out of their skin when Ryker ghosted past them, both of them fumbling for their spears. "H-halt!" The female guard shouted, pointing her spear at Ryker. "Where do you think you are going?"

"Into the forest." Ryker answered. "Going to stop me?"

The guards exchanged a look and they slowly shook their heads. Ryker set back off into the woods. The guards were further unnerved when he stepped past a tree and seemingly became one with the forest. In reality Ryker simply hid his presence, but to them it seemed like he had ceased to exist. He moved deeper into the forest, silent as a ghost. Quieter in fact. Ryker didn't speak. The Lares seemingly did not _stop_ talking. When he was about a hundred meters away from the guards Ryker sensed someone else in the forest. He didn't react until he passed by where the person was hiding. In an explosion of movement he lunged to the side and grabbed hold of whatever it was that was hidden in the shadow of a tree. Nico di Angelo gave a shout of surprise when he was forcibly _pulled_ from the shadow he had been hiding in. Ryker blinked in surprise when he saw the pale demigod and quickly released him. "What are you doing here?" He asked, confused by the son of Hades' presence. He had told no one of his plans to leave the camp, apart from Silver. But even if she had gone to tell someone he had not given them enough time to track him. Apart from that, tracking him in the forest should have been nigh on impossible. Only the Hunters of Artemis and the goddess herself had been able to find him.

"How did you do that?" Nico asked, clearly unnerved. "I was a part of the shadows and you _grabbed_ me!"

"You were hiding in a tree." Ryker told him. "Son of a nature goddess, remember? You can't hide from me in a forest, no matter where you try."

"But that shouldn't have been…" Nico blew out a frustrated sigh and shook his head. "Never mind. We can talk about this later. For now though, what are you doing out here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Ryker shot back. "I'm trying to catch whatever this thing is. That's what the gods want me to do, so this is the most direct way of doing things. Now what are _you_ doing out here?"

"Making sure that you don't get yourself killed!" Nico scowled. The expression seemed well practiced on his face. "Whatever this thing is has taken over a dozen demigods, and you just came out here by _yourself_? Do you have any idea how stupid that looks?"

"I never said I was alone." Ryker inclined his head up to where a spotted brown owl sat peering down at them. Silver hooted in greeting and shifted on her perch, ruffling her feathers for good measure.

 _I agree with him, for the record._ She offered.

 _No one asked you bird._

 _Remind me to bite you later._

 _Not going to do that._

"Okay, you have her with you." Nico allowed, waving at Silver. "But that's not enough! You should have told us what you were planning so that we could talk about it!"

"Why would I do that?" Ryker frowned. "I can handle whatever this thing is without your help."

"Do you even _remember_ what Mars said?" Nico hissed, suddenly furious. "He told you that you will have to depend on more than just yourself! You might not realize this, but prophecies are no joke! If the gods have taken _this_ much interest in you there is a good chance that whatever is coming is no joke."

"I was told to find out whatever it was that is taking demigods." Ryker said stubbornly. Silver hooted in protest but neither Nico nor Ryker paid her any mind. "Like I said, once I'm done here I am leaving. End of story. Whatever happens after that is your business."

"So what about the other demigods?!" Nico shouted. "Are you just going to let them remain missing?"

Ryker sighed and shook his head. So much for remaining hidden. Whatever it was that was taking the demigods would have undoubtedly heard the commotion and would have given them a wide berth. "Look, I'm sure that all of you are very good friends and what not. I'm not. The people who got taken are nothing to me. I owe neither them nor any of the rest of you any loyalty."

Nico looked like he would enjoy nothing more than to run Ryker through with the black sword that hung at his side. "You… you…" Nico struggled to find the words that would describe Ryker's cold manor. He glanced up to Silver for encouragement and frowned. "Where's Silver?"

Ryker glanced up and immediately sensed something was amiss. The normal sounds of the night had vanished. The crickets and birds of the forest were silent. That was a phenomenon that only happened when something dangerous or unknown was lurking in their territories. They were the forest's warning system and Ryker had not been listening. _"Silver!"_ He shouted out with his mind and voice alike.

He ripped off his gloves and dug his hands into the dirt, listening intently for the sign of anything amiss. For a moment Ryker heard nothing, but after a beat he heard the faint distinctive sound of footsteps on the grassy earth. He grabbed his gloves and shot off through the trees in the direction that the footprints had come from. He left Nico standing where they had been arguing without another thought. The trees seemed to bend around Ryker as he ran, feeding off the energy of the forest to push his body to even greater speeds. As he ran he felt the distinctive pressure of Silver's mind coming closer and closer. Ryker had just closed in on her presence when it seemingly vanished. He broke past a line of trees as a large hole in the ground closed with impossible quickness. Standing over the hole was a massive man with glowing red eyes and a large black mechanical bow. He glanced over at Ryker and his red eyes seemed to change their focus. "You!" Ryker snarled, advancing on the giant as he pulled on his gloves. "What did you do with Silver?!"

"Was that her name?" The giant laughed and shook his head as he pulled a massive red and black arrow from the quiver on his back. "I didn't ask. Don't really care. You shouldn't have followed her. I can't have anyone see me."

Ryker leapt across the clearing and slashed at the giant. The giant moved back with impossible quickness and smashed the shaft of the massive arrow across Ryker's back. "I don't have any use for you." The red eyed giant said coldly, kicking at Ryker with his metal tipped boots.

Ryker, who had been stunned by the impact of the arrow, felt several ribs break as the large foot connected with his side. He went rolling away and landed on his back, gazing up at the night sky as he struggled to draw in breath. "Why you…" The words hurt to even speak and Ryker tasted blood on his lips, but he ignored both factors. He got woozily to his feet much to the surprise of the giant. "Who are you?" Ryker gasped out. He took a step toward the giant as a tremor of pain racked the broken half of his rib cage.

"Tough one, aren't you?" The giant asked. His red eyes seemed to change again, the pupils widening and narrowing. "Fine. I'm going to kill you anyways, might as well tell you. The name's Orion."

Ryker remembered Artemis saying something Orion, but he couldn't recall what it was. "Give… Silver… Back." He took another step towards Orion, his eyes blazing anger.

"Sorry." Orion told him carelessly. "But she's gone. I would worry about yourself though. You have bigger problems."

Ryker felt the hand that Mars had marked begin to glow white hot. He gave into that heat and it grew into an inferno as it ran up his arm and from there throughout his body. Orion's red eyes narrowed and he set the arrow onto the bowstring. "I don't know what you have planned, but this is the end of the line for you."

The giant sent the arrow loose and the shaft ate up the distance between them. The fire that poured from Mars' mark had spread to every part of Ryker's body now. The pain was great, but Ryker found it was bearable. When the arrow was an inch from Ryker's chest he sidestepped and the shaft went skittering off into the forest. He ran at Orion again, but faster this time. The giant swatted at him with the massive black bow but Ryker was able to avoid the attack. His claws went to work gouging out bloody furrows in Orion's legs as Ryker hamstrung the giant. Along with seemingly increasing his physical abilities Mars' mark seemed to accelerate Ryker's anger. He went after Orion with all the fury of a cornered beast.

Ryker had just brought Orion to his knees when the fire that permeated his being suddenly extinguished itself. He blinked in surprise and caught the end of Orion's bow as the giant swung it hard at Ryker. The demigod went tumbling back for the second time in minutes. The wounds he had inflicted on Orion seemed to be healing with impossible speed, the golden ichor quickly stopping its flow. The giant slowly got up off his knees and nocked another arrow to his bow, gazing at Ryker down its sights. "You can't kill me." Orion told him coldly. "Only a god and demigod can kill a giant… And now maybe not even then."

He couldn't have dodged Orion's arrow. Not in the state he was in. Ryker watched as the arrow left the bow and traveled the distance between them. It was almost as if it were in slow motion. It was made all the worse when the black and red shafted arrow cut into the center of his chest and blew him off his feet. He was pinned to a tree, gazing with disbelief at the arrow. Orion slowly lowered the bow just as another pit opened in the earth. The giant gave another long look back at Ryker before leaping into the pit and disappearing. Blood poured from Ryker's chest, coating the shirt he was wearing. He managed to get one hand onto the arrow and gave it a halfway decent pull, but the arrow was embedded too deeply in the tree behind him. Ryker's hand fell away and his world went dark.

 **Hello, hello, my readers. Bit of an action-packed chapter this time. Before anyone says anything, here are two points I want to make. First would be that yes, this chapter was rather fast paced. It was intended to be. I wanted to convey the suddenness of Ryker's decision to do things by himself. The second is that yes, you read correctly. Silver is a demigod. More on that later of course. As always, thank you so much for reading. I appreciate it more than words can express. I wish you the best. -Hallowed**


	17. Debt

When an animal wakes up in an unfamiliar place with no memory of how it got there most times the beast will initiate its fight or flight instincts. Ryker was no different. His eyes snapped open and he sucked in a painful rattling breath just as his unfortunate doctor happened to be leaning over him to check his pulse. Ryker's hand shot out and grabbed the man by the throat. Ryker snarled and pushed him to the floor, his other hand on the man's throat. "H-help!" The doctor croaked out as he began to turn purple.

The sound of footsteps alerted Ryker to more people but he was intent on his task. The doctor's eyes began to dim and his pulse weakened beneath Ryker's fingertips. "Ryker!" A familiar voice shouted in surprise. "Let him go! You're killing him!"

Ryker heard the words but in his pain-addled, instinct driven state he shrugged them off as pointless noise. "Stop him!" Another voice roared.

Hands grabbed Ryker from all sides and managed to pull him away from the doctor. Ryker thrashed and struggled but the pain in his chest was nearly incapacitating. As he slowly regained his wits he stopped fighting and went limp in his restrainers' arms. The doctor had been pulled to the opposite side of the room and had a hand on his throat. He was looking at Ryker with wide eyed fear even with Reyna and Jason interposed between them. Ryker looked up and saw Percy and Annabeth holding tight to his arms. "You alright now?" Percy asked warily, not releasing his grip on Ryker's arms.

"Orion." Ryker barked.

The others glanced to one another in confusion and Thalia cleared her throat loudly. "What about Orion?" She asked quietly.

"You asked me to find out who it was that was taking the demigods." Ryker spat. Percy and Annabeth released his arms and he got slowly to his feet, one hand massaging his aching chest. Bandaged wrapped around his torso and he had a feeling that removing them would not be in his best interest. "His name is Orion."

The assembled demigods looked to one another in surprise. "Are you sure?" Reyna asked after a beat.

"Ten feet tall. Strange red eyes. Black bow. Male. Hunter." Ryker listed off the distinctive traits that he had discerned from their brief meeting. "And he told me his name. I don't think he expected me to survive."

"You almost didn't." Nico told him, stepping out from Reyna's shadow. "When I found you, I could feel your death looming above your head. I'm surprised you survived as long as you did with that arrow in your chest. I got you back to camp and Will has been taking care of you ever since." Nico jerked a thumb to the doctor who Ryker had tried to kill.

Ryker recognized the demigod from the Greek camp. He sighed inwardly as he recounted his actions and nodded to Will. "My apologies. I was not myself."

"Oh it's fine." Will managed to say. His throat was already bruising where Ryker's hands had gone. "Not the first time one of my patients tried to kill me."

"Dude that is a really awful thing to say." Jason shook his head. "I would try to avoid that. You might die next time."

"Oh I'm not worried about that." Will said brightly. He grinned at Nico who rolled his eyes. "One of the bright sides about dating a child of Hades is that he can tell when people are about to die. When he says I should worry _then_ I will worry."

"What did Orion say he is doing with the demigods?" Reyna demanded.

"Didn't tell me." Ryker shrugged. "He told me his name. After that I attacked him."

"You attacked a giant? Alone?" Frank asked disbelievingly. "Do you have a death wish? Seriously. I want to know. You seem to always pick a fight with the most dangerous things around."

"He took Silver." Ryker's voice was as cold as ice. "I had to try to get her back. He beat me. Simple as that."

"He took Silver?" Thalia demanded. "Why?"

"I don't know." Ryker shrugged again. "Like I said, we didn't talk too much. He was busy putting an arrow through my chest."

"Well, at least we know what's causing us this trouble." Hazel said optimistically.

The others didn't seem to share her optimism. Frank was still gazing at Ryker with something that bordered on angry disbelief. Percy and Annabeth seemed to be lost in their thoughts as they considered the problem facing them. Jason was quietly conversing with Thalia while Reyna quietly listened to them speak. Will was the only one who seemed to have some purpose. He pointed at the bed and then looked at Ryker. "You. Sit. You still need to rest."

"I'm fine." Ryker said dismissively. The pain in his chest was tremendous but he had felt worse.

"It wasn't a question." Will said in a near growl. "You are _my_ patient. Sit. Down."

Ryker slowly met the golden haired boy's gaze. He treated him with his most malevolent glare which had as much effect on the son of Apollo as his refusal did. "Yes, very scary." Will rolled his eyes. "I'm sure that you can terrify a lot of other people with that look. But not me. Now are you going to sit or do I have to make you?"

"As if you could." Ryker scoffed, stubbornly remaining standing.

Will's eyes glinted and everyone in the tent immediately put their fingers in their ears. "Last chance." He warned, putting two fingers in his mouth and taking in a deep breath.

"I would listen to him." Nico warned, his voice louder than he intended due to his fingers in his ears. "He's a son of Apollo the god of medicine. He can tell everything about a person medically just from touching them. That includes your senses."

Ryker shrugged and looked to Will with defiance ringing in his posture. Will looked to Nico who shrugged helplessly and then back to his stubborn patient. The whistle that Will let loose immediately had Ryker regretting his decision to remain standing. To Ryker, whose senses were heightened due to his parentage and upbringing in the forest, it was as if Will had begun to drill into his skull. His knees began to fold and Will expertly maneuvered him back to the bed he had been resting on just as Ryker's legs gave out. He collapsed onto the stiff mattress and put his head in his hands in an effort to stop the world from spinning.

"He did warn you." Jason said fairly, pulling his fingers out of his ears. The others, seeing that the danger was now gone, copied the action and exchanged knowing grins. "You can't say he didn't."

"What was that?" Ryker moaned through his hands. A faint echo of the whistle continued in his ears and a searing migraine was now throbbing in his head.

"Ultra-sonic whistle." Will said cheerfully as he unwrapped the bandages from around Ryker's chest. "In addition to being the god of medicine Apollo is also the god of music. I can't sing or play any instruments but, well, you saw that I at least got something out of it."

"You know, I think it might be a good idea to take Will along." Piper mused. "If Ryker is as argumentative as you guys say it might be good to have someone who can keep a leash on him so to speak."

"And it would be a nice change to have someone who actually knows how to heal." Annabeth added, immediately pleased by the idea. "We, erm, we have a bad habit of getting hurt."

Will had just finished removing the bandages and was now examining Ryker's back with a slight frown. "Well, it's healing. Now as fast I would have liked, but it's definitely better. A couple more days and you should be completely healed as long as you keep using the nectar." He began to rewrap Ryker with a different set of clean bandages. "Oh, and I haven't been on a quest before. Sounds good to me. When do we leave?"

"As soon as Ryker is ready." Reyna said firmly. "But I am afraid I will have to put a damper on this. As I told you, I can't afford to have Frank leave right now. As Praetors we have duties."

"And I can't go either." Jason said glumly. "I'm in the middle of building those shrines for the other gods. They all want their own trading cards and Orcus is demanding that he get a shrine made completely out of stygian iron."

"Percy and I are still in. Hazel?" Annabeth looked questioningly at her friend.

"Of course I'm going!" She said indignantly. "Who else is going to get you out of trouble if we have to go underground?"

Nico coughed and raised an eyebrow at his sister. "So I suppose I am useless?" He asked, but his tone indicated that he was joking. Hazel opened her mouth to apologize but Nico laughed and waved it off. "I'm in. If Will is going I have to keep an eye on him."

"I'm going too. Charmspeak always comes in handy." Piper chimed in.

"Where are you going now?" Ryker asked, wincing as Will tightened his bandage.

" _We_ are going to get back the Oracle of Delphi's spirit." Percy told him. "We need to know the rest of this prophecy. Once we get it back you should have a better idea of what to do next."

"Oh no." Ryker said immediately. "I was told to figure out who is taking the demigods. My job is over. I'm leaving."

"What about Silver?" Thalia demanded. "Are you just going to leave her?"

Ryker raised an eyebrow coolly. "By your tone I'm guessing you find that upsetting?"

"She's your friend!"

"I never claimed that." Ryker shot back. "I owe her nothing just as she owes _me_ nothing."

"How can you be so cold man?" Jason wondered. "I mean, you two seemed to get along really well. If I was you I would be losing my mind trying to get her back."

"You aren't me," Ryker reminded him. "I don't have any loyalty to you or-."

"But you _do_ owe me." Nico interrupted him. "I saved your life. The code of the wild states that you have to return the favor, right?"

The tent was silent as Ryker examined Nico with a new light. The code of the wild was a very closely guarded secret of the nymphs and dryads of the forest. Ryker had been privy to the code only after saving a water nymph from an empousa. The code of the wild was not an actual vow, but it was just as binding as one. By invoking it, Nico had forced Ryker's hand. He had to assist them. "How do you know about the code?" Ryker asked finally.

"And I didn't save you alone either." Nico continued, ignoring the question. "Everyone here came to help me save you. Monsters were everywhere. I couldn't fend them off by myself and get you back to camp. You owe everyone here your life."

The others were clearly lost as to what Ryker and Nico were discussing, but they wisely chose to say nothing. Ryker fumed in silence for a few minutes as he searched desperately for some manner of loophole, though he knew there was none. The code of the wild was absolute. "Fine." He said through gritted teeth after a long minute. "I'll go with you. At least until I square my debt with all of you. Where are we going?"

Piper's eyes glinted as she smiled mysteriously. "We're going to kill the great serpent that took the spirit of the Oracle of Delphi."


	18. Annabeth

The prospect of going on yet another quest filled Annabeth with mixed feelings of dread and excitement. The fact that Percy was going along with her again assisted in alleviating some of the anticipation that curled in her stomach. After leaving the tent, and the still slightly disoriented Ryker to Will's ministrations, Percy and Annabeth followed Reyna through the Roman camp. When legionnaires saw the Praetor moving through the camp they quickly moved to get out of her way, something that Annabeth found very helpful.

"So does anyone have an idea where this snake is?" Percy wondered. "Is it even really a snake? Because, technically, a hydra is a serpent. And I _really_ don't want to fight one of them."

"I'm hoping Rachel might know." Annabeth answered. "If she doesn't we can always ask Chiron for some direction."

"And if all else fails we can just go spelunking into random caves until we find the right one." Percy said with false brightness. "Or maybe Ryker can smell out the Oracle?"

"He's a demigod, not a bloodhound." Reyna reminded him. She paused to berate a legionnaire whose armor had rust on the outskirts before turning her attention back to Percy and Annabeth. "What do you two think of him by the way?"

"He's… different?" Percy admitted, rubbing the back of his neck in slight discomfort. "I don't know honestly. I get a weird vibe about him. Whenever he looks at me it's like…." He struggled to find a way to describe just how it felt when Ryker looked at him.

Annabeth knew exactly how Percy felt. She felt the same way. Ryker was constantly on edge it seemed, the issue with Will earlier had only solidified further her thoughts on the matter. "It's like he can't decide if he wants to attack us or run from us." Annabeth finished the thought. "But if what you guys say is true and he really was raised in the wild, it only makes sense."

"I was just thinking about that." Reyna said as she pushed open the door to her office. "The fact that he survived so long by himself in the wilderness is… admirable at the very least. He may very well prove useful to you on this quest."

Annabeth wasn't so certain. Nico had gained his allegiance through a lie. Nico alone had been the one that had got Ryker back to camp. There had been no other assistance. The child of Hades had just appeared with an unconscious and blood covered Ryker out of Percy's shadow and told them to help. Annabeth had no clue about the code of the wild, but if what Nico had said was true then Ryker was now under the impression he owed all of them his life. If that lie were to fall through, Annabeth did not want to have to fight him. She had seen him fight during the game. Greeks by definition were wild fighters, especially compared to the well-oiled machine that was the Roman legion. But Ryker was on a completely different animal, almost literally. His fighting style followed no set pattern. On top of that mercy was not at the top of things he seemed concerned with.

"Speaking of which, I don't suppose that you can offer us something in the way of transport?" Percy asked hopefully. "I mean, I appreciate the boat last time, but a car or something would be nice."

"I think that would be possible." Reyna smiled. "Especially without a certain Centurion attempting to send you to your death."

Annabeth watched Percy scowl as he undoubtedly remembered the centurion in question. She had never officially met Octavian herself, but she was not upset by this based on what Percy had said of him. She wished she could now however, if only to strangle him. Annabeth blamed him, possibly unreasonably, for Leo's death. If Octavian had not fired the onager at Leo and Gaea then possibly the son of Hephaestus could have survived the explosion he caused. Unfortunately, they would never know. "Where is Rachel by the way?" Annabeth inquired. She leaned down and patted Reyna's metal greyhound, Arget, on the head. The dog barked in appreciation and leaned into her touch. "If she doesn't know I want to ask Chiron."

"If neither of them know, what is your next idea?" Reyna inquired. "And to answer your question, Rachel is currently in the small house we had set up for her and Ella. It's not too far from here actually. If you would like, we could continue this conversation as we go to speak to her."

"Sounds good to me." Annabeth said reasonably. Reyna stood up from her seat and swept out of the door, taking the lead as befitted a Praetor. "And to answer _your_ question, I really don't know. Any ideas?"

"You could always go to ask my sister." Reyna said delicately.

Percy winced and shook his head. "I would really rather not do that…" He said slowly. He looked to Annabeth with wide eyes and she understood why he was so hesitant against such a meeting. Hylla was the leader of the Amazons. They were a huge empire, but they were famously misanthropic. They might allow Percy, and perhaps even Nico and Will, into their base of operations but Annabeth did not see a meeting with Ryker and Hylla going so well. In fact Annabeth could easily see that meeting ending with bloodshed.

"Yeah," Annabeth mirrored Percy's wince. "That probably would not end well. If we have to, sure, but we'll have to leave Ryker tied up outside or something."

"Again, I think you confuse him for a dog." Reyna said, but she was clearly trying not to laugh. "I wouldn't try to teach him any tricks if I was you."

"No promises." Percy answered. "But like Annabeth said, I would save that for a last ditch effort. How has your sister been by the way? She stopped by Camp Half-Blood a while ago to pick up a new recruit. Didn't get a chance to speak with her though."

"She's fine, I suppose." Reyna shrugged. "I don't speak with her all that much truth be told. She has her obligations and I have mine."

"Have any amazons been taken?" Annabeth inquired.

"None as far as I know." Reyna answered. "We might not talk much, but she would most definitely tell me if something like that occurred."

Reyna stopped in front of a small house and Annabeth immediately knew that it was the home of Rachel and Ella. Books were strewn about on the porch and a makeshift nest had been made out of a mess of almanacs and dictionaries. Reyna quickly ascended the steps and knocked on the front door of the house. A brief sound of something falling over followed by muffled cursing preceded Rachel throwing open the door and blinking in the sudden glare of the afternoon sunlight. "Oh, is it morning already?"

"More like afternoon." Annabeth corrected. "You haven't been out much have you?"

"Not really." Rachel admitted, sinking down to sit on her step. Reyna stepped back and sat beside her. "I've been trying to piece together a few of the prophecies that Ella has memorized, but the problem is I'm not really sure _what_ goes _where_. I don't want some poor unfortunate demigod to be sent off on a prophecy to slay a dragon only to realize they were supposed to save the dragon instead."

"I can't imagine a quest that would involve saving a dragon." Percy noted.

"Which is exactly why I want to get everything right." Rachel said tiredly. Now that she was in the sunlight Annabeth could see the dark shadows under her eyes. Losing the Oracle of Delphi had taken its toll on the mortal girl. "Anyways, why are you here? You know I can't give prophecies anymore…"

"Yeah, about that." Percy smiled at her. "We are, erm, trying to fix that situation."

"What Seaweed Brain is trying to say is that we are going to get the Oracle of Delphi back from the snake." Annabeth quickly spoke up in response to the confused look that Rachel sent her way. Percy was not very good at getting a point across. "We were hoping that you could give us an idea on where it is and how to get there."

"Snake? You mean Python?" Rachel asked suddenly serious.

"Oh, so it _is_ a snake." Percy sighed in relief.

"No…." Rachel said slowly, looking to each of the assembled demigods as though they were insane. "Python is an earth dragon. _The_ Earth dragon. Apollo himself had to go to fight it to take the Oracle of Delphi's spirit. It took a _god_ to kill Python."

"Oh, well, unless Apollo is taking requests I don't think he is going to be able to do it again." Percy said. "Which means it's up to us. Again. Great."

"Are you sure about this?" Rachel asked. "I can't give you any advice or anything."

"No, but we need to know the rest of this prophecy." Annabeth answered tiredly. "Whatever it is, it has to do with the missing demigods. We need the rest of the prophecy. So this is our only real course of action."

Rachel sighed and rubbed her temples. "The only thing I know is that Python took Delphi to the same place he had her before."

"You mean the center of the Earth?" Annabeth asked, horrified. She remembered the story about how Python had lived in what was supposedly the center of the planet. "How are _we_ supposed to get there?"

"No, no." Rachel shook her head viciously. "Not the center of the earth. That wasn't true. I can sort of still feel Delphi's spirit, but only barely. It's like a cell phone with _really, really_ bad reception. He's deep below ground, but he isn't at the center of the Earth. The best I would say is to go east."

"I don't suppose you could tell us how far East?" Percy asked hopefully.

"I would say still in North America." Rachel answered, but she didn't sound certain. "Other than that I really couldn't say. I wish I could be more helpful."

"It's alright." Annabeth told her consolingly, one hand on her shoulder. She smiled and shrugged. "It wouldn't be a quest if we knew exactly where to go."

"That's true enough." Percy muttered moodily.

"So what's this I hear about a new demigod coming here and causing trouble?" Rachel wondered. The others looked at her in surprise and she smiled. "I might not get out that much but people do walk by my house. I hear things. Apparently he took out the three sentries?"

Reyna, Percy, and Annabeth exchanged a look and nodded in unison. Reyna quickly caught Rachel up to speed on everything that had transpired since Ryker's arrival at the Roman camp and Percy did the same for his arrival at Camp Half-Blood. Rachel listened in silence until they were both finished and then she let out a low whistle. "This guy sounds… interesting." She said with a laugh and a shake of her head. "Still… if the gods have taken that much of an interest in him he must have some big part to play in this prophecy. I think you are right to take him along."

"Well he will make things interesting at least." Annabeth admitted. She still wasn't too certain of Ryker. Daughters of Athena were masters of strategy. Strategy meant that you understood exactly what pieces you had to play and when you should play them. Ryker represented an unknown element. Unknown elements were generally the ones that undid usually sound strategies. Until Annabeth could at least understand the new demigod she wasn't entirely sure she could trust him. That lack of trust she knew could potentially get her or someone she loved killed.

One look at Percy and Annabeth knew that he was thinking along the exact same lines that she was. This quest was dangerous, that much was certain. But it was dangerous in more reasons than one. And one of those reasons was one of the demigods that they were to be joined by on this quest. "Well," Annabeth said finally, "Thanks Rachel. I'm going to go send an Iris message to Chiron and see if maybe he knows something or can give us an idea."

"Good luck." Rachel told her. She opened her mouth to say something else and then hesitated.

Annabeth saw the hesitation and turned back to face her. "What's up?" She asked.

"Nothing," Rachel said immediately. "It's just… He's the son of the goddess of mountains, right?"

"That's what Chiron said." Percy nodded.

"Well, one of the scraps of prophecy that Ella had memorized was just one line… But it went, ' _and so shall mountain or end fall.'_ That's it though."

Percy and Annabeth exchanged a look and shrugged simultaneously. "I really hope that's a different prophecy." Percy groaned. "Because that does not sound good."

 **A little author's note here. I am not going to exclusively write this from Ryker's point of view. As you can see I will be switching up points of view. Thank you as always for reading. Hoping you have a wonderful holiday season. -Hallowed**


	19. Next Move

Stubbornness seemed to be something that Will had in abundance. That was one of the most prominent observations that Ryker made about the golden haired doctor. After the others had left Will had continued to treat Ryker, taking what he called blood pressure and various other tests. Ryker was very quickly at the end of his rope, but the combined threat of Will's whistle from hell and his debt to the blond haired man prevented him from acting out. Eventually Will stepped back and nodded happily. "You are good to go." He smiled. "See? Was that so bad?"

"Yes." Ryker growled. He grabbed the dark blue shirt that had been laid out for him and pulled it over his head, wincing as his chest gave a spasm of pain. "So when are we leaving?"

"Tonight." Nico said, stepping out from the shadows at the edge of the building. Will shot Nico a questioning look and the child of Hades gave a shake of his head. "Chiron didn't give us any more information than Rachel did." Nico explained.

"So we have no idea where to go?" Will asked, sighing.

Nico patted him on the shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry. Quests are usually like this."

"So what's the plan then?" Will glanced back to Ryker who was stretching warily, testing the limits of his flexibility. "Would you at least _try_ to take it easy?"

"No." Ryker answered as he bent backwards.

Will sighed and shook his head while Nico tried to hide a very obvious smile. "Reyna wants us to ask her sister." Nico winced.

"What's so bad about….?" Will glanced back to Ryker and immediately winced like Nico. "Oh. I see. And Amazons don't allow Iris messages with non-Amazons, right?"

"Unfortunately." Nico said gloomily. "Which means we have to go to their headquarters ourselves."

"That could be… dangerous." Will admitted. He sighed and put on a bright face. "Maybe it will turn out alright. Maybe they will have some information."

"Or maybe they will kill us." Nico countered, still gloomy. He glared accusingly at Ryker as he stretched one arm across his chest. "You better be on your best behavior." He said warningly.

Ryker, who had been listening to the conversation with mild interest, raised an eyebrow but elected to say nothing. He had never heard of the Amazons. Behaving well had nothing to do with how that particular meeting would go. Just then Piper pushed into the tent and looked over the assembled demigods. "You guys hungry?" She asked brightly. "The dining hall just started serving lunch and I am _starved._ Besides, the senate just approved our quest. We are officially good to go."

"I am actually kind of hungry." Will admitted. He looked questioningly to Nico. "What about you?"

"Definitely." They both looked at Ryker who had just finished stretching an arm behind his back. "What about you? Hungry?"

"I'm fine." He said indifferently. "I want to-."

"You are going to eat." Will said firmly, grabbing his shoulders and spinning him towards the door. "Doctor's orders."

"Somewhat defeats the purpose of asking me to begin with, doesn't it?" Ryker asked dryly. He scowled at the amused look Piper sent them as she skipped alongside the group. "Let me go." He snarled when Will continued to steer him.

Will raised his hands, palm upwards in a gesture of peace. "Alright, alright." He muttered sourly. "Take a joke will you?"

"So Ryker, I heard you met the Roman version of my mother?" Piper asked with a look of anguish. "Please tell me she didn't say anything too bad."

"Oh. You mean Venus?" Ryker looked to her for clarification and nodded when Piper confirmed his suspicions with a look. "Yes, I met her. As for what she said, I am not truly sure if it is good or bad. She seemed to like me I suppose."

Piper groaned at the same time that Will and Nico looked at him with sympathy. "Little bit of advice," Piper informed him, "It is _never_ a good thing if my mother likes you. She enjoys causing all the trouble she can by playing with our love lives. What did she say to you?"

"I don't actually remember." Ryker said with a careless shrug.

Piper looked at him with open-mouthed amazement and shook her head incredulously. "You would be the first." She said finally. "Everyone else she tries to play with memorizes her words by heart. It's what she calls fun."

"I'm not concerned with matters of the heart." Ryker shrugged yet again. "I am not questioning the power of it, but it is of no interest to me."

"She must _really_ like you." Piper sighed. "You are exactly the type of demigod she loves to toy with. Especially since you don't seem to really give a hoot one way or the other."

"She is one of my least favorite gods." Nico added with a grim expression. "She… she…" He seemed to be having trouble finding words that could accurately describe how much he did in fact not like the goddess of love.

"She toys with people's heart." Will finished for him, placing a comforting arm around his shoulder. "She thinks that people's affections and desires are nothing more than things for her to manipulate as she sees fit. More often than not she does more harm than good."

"Quite the strong opinions of her." Ryker noted. "Are her children the same way?"

Piper seemed highly offended. "We most certainly are _not_!" She said haughtily. She then paused and sighed. "Well, most of us aren't anyway. Some of us still think playing with people's hearts is the best way to get mom to notice us."

"Blood tells I suppose." Ryker said. They walked into the dining hall and immediately the room went silent. Every eye was on them as they entered. After a beat several whispers began though the Romans watched as Ryker followed Piper to a seat and sat at the table of the Fifth Cohort. The other legionnaires of the fifth watched Ryker with a curious mixture of fear, envy, and awe. Something that Piper called a cheeseburger appeared in front of him and he took an experimental bite. "Not bad." He admitted, his eyes widening in surprise.

"This can't be the first time you have ever eaten a cheeseburger." Piper said disbelievingly.

"It is." Ryker answered after he quickly finished the burger. He glared at his plate until the invisible servants put a second one on his plate. Before tearing into that one he paused to glare at the demigods around him. "What?" he asked defensively, hunching over his burger as though to protect it.

"Dude you have, like, no manners whatsoever." One of the other demigods told him. Ryker slowly turned to glare at the newcomer.

"Come again?" Ryker asked through narrowed eyes.

"Never mind." He muttered, leaning away from the son of Cybele.

"He is right though." Percy laughed as he sat down opposite of Ryker. Annabeth sat down beside him, laughing as well. "You looked like some kind of wild animal eating that burger. No one will take it from you, I promise."

Ryker scowled. "Do you have to critique everything I do?" He asked.

"No, but if we are going on a quest you better get used to it." Annabeth said cheerfully. "Also, I am making it my personal mission to teach you manners."

Ryker tore into his second burger without answering her. The second one disappeared as fast as the first. He instinctively wanted to eat the burger quickly. He had spent too much time fighting the beasts of the forest for his meals to let easy food get away from him. He didn't know or trust the demigods around him hardly at all. For all he knew they could be plotting to steal the burger from him at any time. Unlikely, as it seemed that there was an infinite amount of food being served by wind spirits, but Ryker had learned that it was better to be safe than sorry.

"So, tonight then?" Percy asked once the interest of watching Ryker eat had worn off.

"Looks like." Piper nodded. "Speaking of which, where is Hazel?"

"She's in Pluto's Shrine." Annabeth told her. "Since Pluto is the god of caves, well, she thought that maybe he might be able to help."

"No luck I'm guessing?" Percy asked with a miserable sigh.

"Not so far." Annabeth confirmed. "She'll be there when we leave though. Who knows? Maybe she will get lucky and we won't have to go visit the Amazons. I still don't know what Reyna expect us to find there."

"Apparently the Amazons have information that the camps just don't have." Piper sighed. "Since they deal all over, occasionally they deal in more than just drachma. Apparently a good secret can get you some very good merchandise."

"All of you keep speaking about these Amazons as though it is some sort of death sentence to go see them." Ryker observed, brushing the crumbs from his burger onto the floor. He rolled his shoulders and suddenly began to wonder where his claws had gotten off to. He also needed a bow. The Bow of Artemis was something he considered to be a last ditch effort. Aside from that, he only had ten shots left. And his gift from Mars only had two uses left. He made a mental note to have the Romans search their armory for a bow that was to his liking. If they, like the Greeks, didn't have one then he would be forced to make his own. Since his mother had taken the Blessing of Pan from him, he would undoubtedly have to make it the old fashioned way. Which would take a long time at best. He was about to ask Percy where his weapons were when he realized that everyone was looking at him. "What?" He asked.

"Did you hear a single word I just said?" Nico asked, annoyed.

"No." Ryker answered. "I was just wondering where my claws were. Also, I need to check the Roman armory for a bow. Hopefully they have one that I like."

"We'll ask." Percy promised. "No guarantees though. Jason told me about that spear thrower you called a bow. We have longbows here, but I'm not sure any of them are the size you prefer."

"Pity." Ryker sighed. He glanced back at Nico and raised his eyebrow. "You said something?"

Nico sighed and ran a hand down his face. "Okay, let's try this again. Paying attention this time?" Nico asked. Ryker nodded in response. "Good. The reason that we don't like the idea of going to the Amazons too much is because they, uh, they don't like us very much."

"Demigods?" Ryker asked.

"Men." Nico corrected. "They are notoriously misanthropic."

"It's not that they don't like men." Piper added fairly. "More of… they think that men should be seen and not heard. They are a female dominated society. Last time any of us went there we had to escape or they would have killed them. On top of that they are notoriously strong as warriors."

That did it. Ryker's interest was piqued. He let the corners of his mouth curl into a very small smile and he chuckled softly. The others were immediately wary, glancing at each other with something verging on concern. "Now I am very interested." Ryker told them.

"What about that warning sounded like a challenge?" Percy wondered. "Because I didn't hear one there and you clearly did. Please, enlighten me."

"Strong fighters?" Ryker repeated. "I want to see how strong."

"Again, that was a _warning_." Percy placed heavy stress upon the word. "Not a challenge. If you do something stupid they'll try to kill us. Again. Hylla just got over her desire to kill me. I would really rather not have anything remind her of that."

"Besides, we need them for information." Will reminded Ryker. "If you go there and cause trouble they aren't going to want to help us. You want to get back to your home, right? Well if you go causing us more trouble with the Amazons it will take even longer."

Ryker scowled immediately. "Fine." He said through gritted teeth. "I'll let them be. For now."

Percy and Annabeth put their heads in their hands simultaneously. "He's insane." Annabeth said finally. "He's insane. There's no other explanation."


	20. First Battle?

Percy knew that they would be facing several obstacles on their quest. It was an unavoidable part of being a demigod. He was, however, unaware that their first hurdle would arise so soon. He had thought it might be due to Ryker in some way shape or form, but not in the manner they were facing. "Come on man." Percy said tiredly for the seventh time in minutes. "We have to go."

"I'll walk." Ryker answered, glaring warily at the van. "Just give me directions and I will meet you there."

"If you showed up by yourself they would probably kill you." Piper told him. Again.

When the van that they were taking to the Amazons had pulled up Ryker had freaked out like a cat that someone had just attempted to baptize. Percy, and the others in the group, had originally found this absolutely hilarious. But it was now going on an hour and they had not managed to move Ryker a step closer to the vans. They were growing impatient at the exact same rate it seemed that Ryker was growing stubborn. While Nico and Will attempted to reassure Ryker that the trip was necessary and that he could not in fact walk to the amazons, Percy, Annabeth, Hazel and Piper stepped away and convened for an emergency meeting.

"Tell me you have some sort of idea." Percy pleaded. "Because I don't. And we need to get moving."

"I would say that we should try to overpower him and drag him to the van but I'm not entirely sure that would be advisable." Annabeth blew out an annoyed sigh. "We should have waited to give him back his claws."

"At least he doesn't have a bow." Hazel said optimistically. "If he did I doubt we could even get as close to him as we could have."

"Score one for the Roman armory." Percy said gloomily. He glanced at Piper, who had gone suspiciously quiet, and a hopeful smile spread across his face. He knew that look. That was Piper's 'I have a plan you might not enjoy' look. "Let's hear it." Percy said immediately.

"Well… We still have charmspeak." Piper offered. "I'm sure that it would work."

"I sensed a 'but' in there somewhere." Annabeth noted. Percy knew that she would not be opposed to the idea. Being the daughter of Athena allowed her a better look into what was necessary than most people had.

"I really don't know how he will react once it wears off." Piper said in a small voice.

That put somewhat of a damper on the idea. Percy had seen what happened when animals were unwillingly put into cages. The outcome was almost never favorable. It then occurred to Percy that he really had to stop thinking of Ryker as an animal. Wild or not, he was still a demigod. A very stubborn demigod, but then again what room did he have to talk? "Could you possibly keep charmspeaking him every time that it's about to wear off?" Annabeth asked. "You did with those snake people."

"They were more susceptible to it I guess." Piper ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "The effects of charmspeak are different on everyone. Some people are only affected for a short amount of time. Others are affected until I snap them out of it. You saw what happened to Will. I really don't want to be on the receiving end of that."

"We could always handcuff him." Hazel joked. When Percy and Annabeth exchanged triumphant looks she immediately shook her head. "That was a joke." She said immediately.

"We'll have to be fast." Percy told Annabeth. "Just in case it does wear off fast. Piper?"

"Ready whenever you are." She told them. A growl turned their attention back to the arguing trio of Ryker, Will, and Nico. Apparently Nico had attempted to reassure Ryker with a hand on his shoulder. The son of Cybele now stood a dozen feet away from the two and was glaring at them murderously. "I need to be somewhat close though." She warned.

"That shouldn't be too hard." Annabeth scoffed. "Hey, Nico?"

The pale demigod turned back to stare at her. "Yeah?"

"Think you can do that bone prison thing to Ryker?" Annabeth asked.

Ryker's ears twitched. "What bone prison thing?" He demanded.

"I could try." Nico pursed his lips. "But I don't think so. The person I am trying to trap has to be somewhat stationary. Once the earth starts to move under him Ryker is going to be gone. And I don't want to think about our chances of catching him in the forest."

Annabeth's eyes suddenly sparked with a wicked gleam. "You can still shadow travel, right?"

"Of course." Nico nodded. "It's a lot easier at night."

"Can you transport Piper into his shadow?" Annabeth nodded at Ryker who immediately tensed his body in preparation for a quick escape. It was at moments like these that Percy realized how valuable Annabeth was as an ally and how unfortunate her enemies were. She was a master tactician. Her ability to see all possible solutions to a problem, including those that weren't obvious, was second to none. "How long will it take to hit him with your charmspeak?" She directed the last to Piper.

"Immediately." Piper smiled deviously.

"Do you think we have handcuffs in the van?" Percy wondered. He paused and wanted to reconsider his words when he realized how bad that sounded.

"I'll go get some." Hazel said dully.

"I doubt that will be necessary." Will laughed. Nico, who seemed to be in on the joke, even let out an uncharacteristic chuckle.

It has to be said that Percy despised being left out of jokes. "What's so funny?" He demanded.

Will stifled his laughter but he could not control the enormous smile that was plastered all over his face. "The reason that Ryker doesn't want to get in the van is because he gets carsick."

Annabeth and Percy's mouths dropped open simultaneously and they exchanged incredulous looks. "Seriously?" Annabeth managed. "That's why he doesn't want to go?"

"As his doctor, I should not condone laughing at a patient's medical problem." Will snorted in a very undignified manner and shook his head. "But it is really funny. One of the best fighters either camp has ever seen and he gets motion sickness. Oh the irony."

"So once we get him in the car…?" Percy let the rest of the question hang in the air.

"He won't be able to put up much of a fight." Nico smiled wickedly. "It should be a very quiet trip." Percy wanted to reconsider Nico's words for him. He made a mental note to requisition a better vehicle for the next quest. Or at least a more agreeable demigod.

"What are you discussing over there? Ryker demanded, taking a tentative step forward. "I told you, I'm not going."

The group looked to Piper, who nodded in turn. Nico took her hand and they turned as one towards Ryker. He immediately retreated the step backwards. "You do want to go with us." Piper told him, her voice hypnotically laced with charmspeak. The others were affected immediately. Percy wanted to jump into the van and drive off right then. The magic hit Ryker like a ton of bricks. He staggered backwards and at the same moment Nico and Piper appeared out of his shadow. Sensing someone behind him, Ryker turned. His movements were sluggish from the charmspeak which worked well in their favor. Piper grabbed him on either side of the head and began speaking to him in rapid tones. Percy could not hear her words, but he understood the general gist of what she was saying. Ryker's tension slowly ebbed out of him and when Piper released him he turned meekly and half-stumbled half-walked to the van. The others watched with some degree of interest as he temporarily struggled with the door. Eventually he managed to get it open and he stepped inside. The others were right behind him with Annabeth at the wheel. "I didn't know you could drive." Will noted as he buckled both himself and Ryker in. Ryker's backpack presented something of an issue, but Will managed to get the seatbelt around him all the same.

"I just got my license." She said cheerfully. She shifted the van into gear and smoothly rolled away from Camp Jupiter taking the road that led to the service tunnel. "It's actually really helpful to be able to drive. Chariots are nice, but they can be a pain."

Ryker groaned suddenly and pitched forward, his head in his hands. "Where… how… Why am I in a car?" He asked weakly.

Percy almost felt bad for him. He could hear the pain in his voice and for a moment he was repentant about forcing the poor demigod into the van. _Man, next time we are getting a truck or a car._ Percy promised himself. _A van makes everything creepy._

"On a scale of one to ten, how are you feeling right now?" Will asked interestedly. He reached into the back and began to rummage around until he found his own bag among the others'.

"I am going to kill you for this." Ryker groaned. Percy noted with some degree of fascination that Ryker was now even paler than Nico. That in of itself was quite an accomplishment.

"Now, now." Piper chided. "None of that. We're all friends here."

"Does it bother anyone else that the first 'battle' we had on this quest was against one of our own?" Hazel wondered. She was seated beside Piper in the back, both of them staring with interest as Will attempted to force liquids down Ryker's throat.

"Not really." Annabeth said cheerfully, pulling onto the highway. "That just means that we are one battle closer to the end."

"That is a _really_ twisted way of looking at things." Hazel noted.

"Do you have a better one?"

"Not really."

"Then stop complaining." Annabeth told her. "I hate backseat questers."

"I'm not sure that's an actual term." Nico told her. "Also, you are aware that I have a zombie chauffeur, right? He can drive us."

"Not thanks, I need the practice." Annabeth cheerfully declined. Percy had to admit that she was doing remarkably well. He had actually failed his driver's test when he had gone to take it. He firmly believed that it was not his fault. Annabeth had somehow managed to get a legacy of Venus for an instructor while Percy had somehow ended up with a Lare. It was very hard to drive when your driving instructor periodically drifted through you.

"So, the Amazon headquarters eh?" Piper sighed. "Why do I get a really bad feeling about this?"

Everyone in the car, with the exception of Annabeth who looked in the rearview mirror instead, turned and gazed meaningfully at Ryker. Sensing the eyes on him, he managed to look up from his hands and sent a glare around at everyone. "What?" He asked weakly. "I didn't do anything."

"Yet." Hazel applied heavy stress on the word. "You haven't done anything _yet._ We haven't gotten there yet. And the last time that Percy, Frank, and I were there we nearly got executed. I would really rather not go for a repeat of that. I'm not sure Arion will come and save us this time."

"So if you could avoid insulting anyone it would be in all of our best interests." Nico added. "In fact, why don't the guys just stay out in the van?"

"It might make things quicker." Will agreed hesitantly.

"No way." Ryker said, with a small degree of steel in his voice. "I want to see what you are all afraid of."

"We couldn't even if we wanted to." Annabeth added. "They have security, remember? If we left the boys out in the van they would almost definitely attack and try to kill them. It's better if we just go to Hylla and explain everything to her. Reyna is going to try and get a message through to her, but she didn't guarantee us anything. Besides, I don't think we want to split up. Not again." She glanced to Percy meaningfully and he nodded in agreement.

Every time that their group split up something bad happened. He and Annabeth falling into Tartarus for one. Leo's death for another. "I'm with Annabeth." He told them. They all seemed to have had the same thoughts that he had just had. Except for Ryker of course, who had not been a part of those events. "We stick together. I don't want any of us to get separated again. From now on the seven of us stay together."

The others chorused their agreement. Even Ryker managed a weak nod, although that might have been him dry heaving. Percy thought that it was hard to tell.


	21. Amazons

They drove to the Amazon's main headquarters with very few issues. They made the mistake of stopping once for fast food, and Ryker made a break for freedom. They somehow managed to get him back in the van again and set off back on their way, unwilling to stop again. Once moving, Ryker proved to be too carsick to do much more than groan occasionally and fight off his bout of severe nausea. When they finally pulled into a vast parking lot filled with what looked like forklifts outfitted for battle and put the van into park, Ryker was the first one out. He stepped onto the pavement and breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

"Seriously though," Percy hopped lightly out of the van and observed the hunched over form of Ryker. "Carsickness? Your Achilles' Heel is carsickness?"

"Stop talking." Ryker said, his eyes shut tight. "I'm in no mood to hear it."

"Well, on the bright side we're here now." Piper said cheerfully. She stretched and sighed with happiness. "That feels better. I hate being cooped up for so long."

"Where do we go from here?" Annabeth asked, stowing the keys in her bag. She reached into the back of the van and tossed everyone their own bags. Ryker immediately pulled out his claws and stowed one in each of his main pockets. "Percy, Hazel, you two have been here right?"

"Yeah…." Hazel drew out the word and winced. "Last time didn't go so well…. Like, at all. We got captured pretty quickly."

"I could shadow-travel us inside." Nico offered.

"Probably not a great idea." Annabeth immediately shot the idea down. "We don't want the amazons to think that they're under attack."

Ryker straightened his back and took a deep breath of the cool morning air. He rolled his shoulders and slowly released the breath. The last effects of the carsickness seemed to exit his body with the air. "I don't see any other entrance." He said, determinedly striding towards the front door.

"Ryker! Not a good idea!" Percy called from behind him. When Ryker made no signs of stopping he heard the other give a collective groan before the sound of feet followed behind him.

"Does the word 'teamwork' mean anything at all to you?" Will demanded on Ryker's right. "If you keep doing things by yourself you are going to either get yourself or the rest of us hurt or killed."

"No one is making you follow me." Ryker pointed out. He dug his hands into his pockets, the picture of casualness. The gesture was anything but however. "I don't know what you are so worried about."

"You'll see in a few minutes." Percy promised grimly. "Especially if Kinzie is still the receptionist."

"Isn't that the one who wanted to put you in a collar and an orange jump suit?" Annabeth wondered. "I kind of liked her. She had spunk."

Nico and Will snorted in a barely concealed fit of laughter while Percy scowled. Ryker frowned in puzzlement. "Why… why would they want to put you in a collar?" Ryker asked uncertainly.

"Amazons keep their boyfriends on a short leash." Hazel quickly explained. "Literally, mind you. Not metaphorically. The men in Amazon society are only a step above servants. They don't seem to mind though, I mean they are free to leave at any time."

The sliding glass doors parted with a pneumatic hiss revealing a sparsely decorated lobby with a case of pamphlets sitting right beside the desk of a red-haired secretary. Ryker glanced at Percy and noted his paling face and correctly guessed that the girl at the desk was this Kinzie person. Her eyes narrowed on the incoming group and Ryker's senses were instantly on their highest setting. "Hello," She said politely, addressing Annabeth. "How may I help you today?"

"Kinzie, how have you been?" Annabeth asked. She smiled at the amazon and Kinzie smiled back.

"Oh, not too bad." She sighed. "Hazel, I thought you would have learned from last time? We don't allow _boys_ here. Not unless they are in a metal collar and an orange jumpsuit." She quickly added the last with a hopeful look at Percy.

"Sorry." Percy raised his shoulders and let them fall. "I'm not really into-."

The doors on either side of the receptionist's desk flew open and a stream of spear and sword wielding Amazons charged into the lobby. Ryker's hands flew out of his pockets, the metal of his claws flashing wickedly. "Drop your weapons!" One Amazon ordered, leveling her spear at Ryker.

"Come get them." He snarled, a feral grin on his face. His body was hunched over and tensed, ready for any move he would need to make. More spears were leveled at him and his smile grew wider.

"Take them." The Amazon who had told Ryker to drop his weapons ordered. The other demigods submitted rather meekly, allowing their hands to be bound behind their backs and then to be forced into the room that the Amazons had appeared from. Ryker on the other hand did not submit. The Amazon who had moved forward to attempt to subdue him now sported five parallel gashes on her shoulder. She stepped back and Ryker was surrounded by a ring of spears. His eyes were constantly roving, waiting for one of them to make the first move. He didn't have to wait long. He heard the sounds of footsteps behind him and whirled around in a circle, the shaft of a spear passing him harmlessly by. His clawed hand descended on the wood of the weapon and the spear-point was snapped off. It went skittering across the floor, followed closely by its owner.

That seemed to give the other Amazons reason to pause. They had Ryker outnumbered but as he had just shown he was, in no uncertain terms, an experienced fighter. Ryker's breathing was even but his blood was singing through his veins at a break-neck pace. Though it was against his better judgement, Ryker went on the attack. He fell forward and dug his claws into the hardwood floorboards, using them as an anchor to propel him forward. The first Amazon had fallen before the girls on either side of her could react. Ryker gave them no time to recover, already turning his attention to the next one in line. She swiped at him with a vicious over hand cut and he leapt backward out of the sword's reach. He fell into a crouch again, just as the girl behind him attempted to stab him in the back. A genuine laugh bubbled up to Ryker's lips and his vision grew sharper. Mars' gift was glowing hot on his arm, but Ryker ignored it. He wanted _this_ fight for himself. It was too much fun. Still in a crouch from ducking the attack, he coiled his legs beneath him and launched himself at the girl who had performed the overhand cut. Ryker's movements had been so fast that she hadn't had the chance to recover from her strike. Ryker lunged forward and curled his right hand into a fist. His punch landed solidly in her stomach. To her credit, she seemed to shrug off the blow and reached for Ryker in an attempt to immobilize him. She was too slow however. He danced away, laughter now echoing in the lobby. The Amazons roared in response and did the only sensible thing. They attacked him as one cohesive unit. Ryker's laughter grew even more pronounced and wild, just as his fighting style did. It was by no means an easy fight, not even slightly. The Amazons were extraordinarily well trained and each of their individual skills were something to behold. But that only increased Ryker's happiness in battle. Something about being so close to death seemed to make him feel so _alive_.

After Ryker incapacitated the third Amazon without killing her, the others seemed to catch on to the fact that he wasn't trying to kill them. Several seemed even more enraged by the fact that he was not taking this as a serious ordeal, but more seemed intrigued by him. A few even began to mirror his smile. Ryker's movements were so fluid and unorthodox that the Amazons had trouble figuring out how to handle this wild demigod. He fought on all fours just as often as he fought on two legs, which made fighting him something of a novelty. For his part, Ryker was having a wonderful time. He wouldn't admit it, but he was extremely impressed by the Amazons' fighting ability. When he had fought the Romans in the game of capture the flag, and even when he attacked the guards at the entrance to camp, they had fallen with disappointing ease. _These_ fighters however, _they_ were able to keep him interested. He wanted to prolong this fight for as long as he could. He danced under a series of spear thrusts and broke the spearheads off with a savage swipe from his claws. He was breathing hard now, but he was still smiling. He was surprised when he noticed that some of the Amazons had even begun to smile as well. That sent new energy coursing into his muscles and he attacked with a renewed vigor.

As great a fighter as Ryker was, the Amazons' skill and numbers could not be denied. He was eventually felled when a rather crafty Amazon waited for him to break the spearhead from her spear. When Ryker used the same move he had for the dozen-and-a-half other spears he had broken, she threw the spear aside and leapt at him. A combination of weariness, surprise, and slight arrogance caused Ryker's normally lightning fast reaction to be slightly slower. She kneed him in the stomach and pushed him onto his back, straddling his chest and pressing her sword to his throat with just enough pressure to barely break the skin. Ryker gazed up at her with surprise and, grudgingly, admiration. "Yield?" She demanded, pressing down with her sword just a little harder. "Yield?!"

Ryker bit out a harsh chuckle and sighed. "Yield." He conceded. Girls on either side of him yanked off his gloves and tossed them away before tying corded roped around each of his wrists. He frowned but did not resist, accepting the loss. He stared up at the girl who had felled him and raised an eyebrow. He glanced meaningfully down at the sword and she released some of the pressure on his throat. "What's your name?" He asked.

"None of your business, male." She said dismissively, tossing a mane of long yellow and brown hair over her shoulder. "Take him to the others. Queen Hylla is speaking to them I believe. She can decide his fate."

Ryker was pulled to his feet by two rather burly Amazons and led out of the room at spear point. Right before the door closed behind them Ryker heard the other Amazons praise the one who had taken him down. She laughed and then seriously said, "Alright ladies, I beat him. I _so_ have dibs. Got that?"

 _Dibs?_ Ryker wondered. He returned his attention to the scene before him and blinked in surprise. A massive factory with all manner of mythical beasts, weapons, and some things that Ryker had never seen before were constantly being moved by forklifts being driven by men with orange jumpsuits and iron collars. Ryker raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "I thought they were joking." He muttered to himself. He received a whack across the back with the flat side of a spearhead and scowled.

"No talking, male." One of the girls escorting him ordered.

"Yeah, that's not going to happen." Ryker informed her. Another smack across the back with the spear. He turned his head and glared at the offending Amazon. "Stop. Hitting. Me." He warned her.

She looked at him with a bored expression and hit him again. He stopped short and pulled against the ropes that bound him, angry now. "Move, prisoner." She ordered, poking him now.

Ryker eventually found the room with the rest of the demigods he had departed on the quest with. He opened the door, rubbing his chafed wrists, and raised an eyebrow at the stunned expressions that were sent his way. "That was fun." He declared, closing the door behind him. A girl who looked remarkably similar to Reyna sat at a polished wooden desk, an intricate belt on her waist. Two guards stood on either side of her, their mouths hanging open in shock and confusion.

"Where… where are your guards, prisoner?" One of them managed.

Ryker raised an eyebrow when he noticed that every other demigod, Amazons excluded of course, still had their wrists bound. "They are… indisposed." He wished he hadn't tossed the sword he had stolen for his escape away before entering the office. "They are still alive." He added, seeing the looks of horror on his comrades' faces.

Hylla looked Ryker over critically and then let out a laugh. She shook her head, still chuckling, and said, "It's just as my sister told me." She told the others. "He's quite the wild one, isn't he?"

"You have no idea." Annabeth said somberly.


	22. Heading

It took only a few minutes for the Amazons that Ryker had escaped from to catch up to him, throwing open the door to Hylla's office and entering with weapons drawn. Ryker, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, raised an eyebrow. They immediately spied him and began to advance when Hylla called out, "Stand down!"

They looked at their queen with surprise and incredulousness but they obeyed her nonetheless. "My queen," One said uncertainly, glancing around the room. Hazel, Nico, and the others were no longer restrained and were sitting calmly on chairs lined in front of Hylla's desk. "Th-the prisoner escaped." She finished lamely.

Hylla raised an eyebrow and glanced at Ryker. "You don't say?" She said cryptically. "And here I thought that you just decided to let him wander around the factory."

The Amazons lapsed into silence and Ryker chuckled quietly. They glared daggers at him and he winked at them. "I did tell you not to hit me." He reminded them reasonably. "It isn't my fault you didn't listen."

"You are free to go." Hylla told them. "They are not any danger."

"That one is." One of Ryker's former guards objected, pointing at him with her sword.

"I'm flattered you think so highly of me." He laughed darkly again, just to further antagonize them.

"Ryker." Piper said warningly. "We need them to help us on this quest."

The Amazons filed out of the room leaving only the demigods, Hylla, and her two guards. "You didn't actually kill any of my people did you?" Hylla asked hopefully. "Because then I would have to execute you."

"No, none of them are dead." Ryker confirmed.

"Well then," Hylla folded her hands in front of her. "My sister tells me that you need our assistance on the quest you are on? What is it you are trying to do?"

"We're trying to free the Oracle of Delphi." Annabeth told her. "We know Python has taken the Oracle back to where it kept her last time. We need to know where he is. Do you know?"

"Any other information would be really helpful as well." Will added. Hylla looked at him like she wasn't quite certain what to say and he smiled apologetically. "Sorry, but it's my first quest. I want to know what we're walking into."

Hylla blew out a small sigh and met Annabeth's eyes. "We do know where the Oracle is being kept." She admitted. She paused uncertainly and Ryker narrowed his eyes. "But it's not information we can simply give away freely."

"Why not?" Hazel asked indignantly. "You've heard of what's happening to demigods right? We need to get the Oracle back so we can stop them from being taken."

"You misunderstand me." Hylla quickly said, "I will of course help you as much as I possibly can, but I can't tell you the information that you want because we do not know everything either." She scooted her chair back several feet and pulled out one of the drawers. She rummaged around inside for a moment before withdrawing a laptop. She closed the drawer and pulled back up to her desk, booting up the computer.

"What's that?" Ryker asked curiously, staring at the laptop.

Hylla looked at him with the same mixture of annoyance and grudging respect that she had when he first walked inside the office and answered, "This is a record of everything the Amazons have on every quest that has ever taken place." She glanced to Annabeth. "I don't suppose you would be willing to come back sometime and detail your trip through Tartarus?"

"If we survive this, sure." Annabeth offered. "I'll give you every gruesome detail."

"Excellent."

"How are records stored on that thing?' Ryker was oddly fascinated by the metal rectangle. He took a few steps forward and the guards on either side of Hylla moved forward as well, their spears held at the ready. He glared at them and they stared back with blank impassive looks.

"Electronically." Hylla answered shortly, looking up at him curiously now. She noted the blank look that flashed across his face and shook her head. "Seriously? You don't…? Never mind."

Nico hid a smile and shook his head. "Welcome to our world." He told Hylla gravely. "Up until a couple days ago he had never even had a cheeseburger."

Hylla muttered something that even Ryker couldn't catch with his sensitive hearing. The room was quiet while she tapped at the laptop and eventually turned the device around to face the assembled demigods. Ryker stared with a frown at the black screen and raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. Annabeth, Piper, and Hazel however, leaned forward in apparent interest. The other boys exchanged confused glances and then helpless shrugs. Hylla permitted herself a smile and nodded as though in understanding. "Only women can read Amazon records." She explained. "When they were on scrolls each scroll had to be enchanted. Now it is much easier. Enchant the laptops and you can download the records from the online archive. Don't want too many people getting ahold of our information after all." She added as if in explanation.

"So, this is all you have on Python and the Oracle of Delphi?" Ryker did not like the sound of disappointment in Piper's voice.

Hylla spread her arms wide. "Apollo was the one who went and took him on." She informed them. "Apollo might be prone to telling everyone and everything that he has ever done in great detail, but we don't exactly have a good history with him. All the knowledge we have comes second hand at best. One of our warriors' husband is actually a son of Apollo-."

"What?" Will choked out in surprise. Hylla fixed him with a withering look and he faded back into silence. Nico patted his hand in sympathy and Will sent him a plaintive look.

"As I was saying," Hylla continued coolly, "One of our warriors' husband is a son of Apollo. She had him tell her everything he knew from that event, but there wasn't much he could tell. Apparently Apollo had taken to recounting the story in limericks."

Percy shook his head in sympathy and Will looked rather embarrassed. "I really wish that Apollo _wasn't_ the god of poetry." Will said gloomily.

Hylla didn't bother to shoot him another look, nodding in agreement this time. "Limericks do have a tendency of making information gathering rather difficult." She agreed with a sigh. She retrieved the laptop and closed it, storing it back in the drawer. She placed her elbows on the table and folder her hands, resting her chin upon them. "What did that information sound like to you?" Hylla asked the girls.

"It sounded like Python is at the bottom of some great chasm, behind a door of some sort." Hazel said uncertainly. "I didn't get that last bit though, _one shall enter and none shall return_."

"Actually I might be able to shed some light on that." Hylla said, relieved to give some manner of help. "Apparently wherever Python is keeping the Oracle is guarded by a legion of monsters. I'm not sure what they are, mind you. But behind those monsters are a set of doors. Inside the chamber that those doors lead to is where Python is, along with the Oracle."

"Okay, so only one person can enter the chamber at a time?" Percy asked.

Hylla nodded slowly. "That seems to be the case." She said. "Like I said, our information is second hand. I believe that line was actually from one of Apollo's poems. It might be him just making things sound worse than they were, but I would be careful just in case. As for the great chasm, I cannot say for certain but I believe that is referencing the Grand Canyon."

"No way." Piper said immediately. "I've been there! I never saw any door or anything."

"Were you looking?" Ryker asked pointedly.

Piper's face fell and she sighed. "No," She conceded. "I wasn't. But think about it, Rachel even said that she thought that she could sense the Oracle somewhere _east_ of Camp Jupiter. The Grand Canyon is in Arizona. That's south not east."

"It never said that the door to Python is right there." Nico reminded her. "Who knows how far we might have to go before we actually find it."

Hazel and Annabeth exchanged a look and they shared a nod. "Arion?" Annabeth guessed.

Hazel nodded in response. "Arion." She confirmed. "We can't afford to waste the time to drive there. We need to get there as fast as we can."

"Oh, great." Percy groaned. "The potty-mouth horse. I don't suppose that you would be willing to spare some soap?" He asked Hylla.

The queen of the Amazons pursed her lips and shook her head. "We don't help males." She said firmly. "But what I can do is give you girls one of our newer model chariots." She said brightly.

"That would be awesome." Piper said gratefully.

"Of course." Hylla pressed a button on her desk and almost immediately a very familiar Amazon girl walked through.

"How may I help you my queen?" She asked briskly. Ryker's eyes widened as he recognized the girl who had been the one to defeat him earlier. He was certain that she noticed his stare, but she ignored him with contemptuous ease.

"Have one of the new chariots we just ordered placed in the parking lot." Hylla ordered. "Also, place their weapons and bags on the chariot along with some other provisions for their trip."

"Of course my queen." She hesitated and her eyes darted to Ryker for the first time since walking into the room. "Even his?"

Hylla tilted her head to one side and one eyebrow rose a fraction of an inch. "Of course," She said slowly. "Are you afraid that he might defeat you again?"

The Amazon frowned indignantly. "I didn't lose to him." She said stiffly. "I was the one who made him yield. I was going to keep his claws as a trophy."

Hylla's eyebrows shot up to their limit now and she seemed to be fighting off a smile. Ryker's eyes darted from girl to girl, utter confusion running through him. Only Piper seemed to have a hint as to what was going on between them. "I see," Hylla said finally. She turned to address Ryker directly now. "Are you amicable to that?" She asked pointedly.

"Amicable to what?" Ryker asked.

"He is." Piper said immediately. "He totally is. You can keep the claws." Piper told the Amazon brightly.

"We will, of course, supply him with a new set." Hylla said, a small measure of satisfaction in her voice. "We do not want him to go into battle unarmed."

Ryker had returned his attention back to Hylla when he felt his arm suddenly wrenched around. Lips were at his ear and he recognized the voice of the girl who had defeated him earlier. "If you want your claws back, come get them after this quest." She told him, her challenge clear in her words. She released him roughly and shoved him away before walking away with a sashay of her hips.

The hunter did a double take between the girl who was walking away and Piper, silently willing the daughter of Aphrodite to explain what was going on. Piper shrugged one shoulder, clearly unwilling to explain things at present. The Amazon who had grabbed Ryker was almost through the door when Hylla called, "Oh, and Victoria?"

The Amazon turned around and raised an eyebrow. "Careful," Hylla warned her. "Careful."

The girl straightened her back and stared her queen in the eye before walking out of the room. "Okay," Percy said, raising a hand as though in question. "What just happened?"

"Your chariot will be ready directly." Hylla told them matter-of-factly. "My guards will escort you out of the building and into the parking lot. The chariot will be delivered there. If that is all, I have an empire to run."

Clearly dismissed, the seven demigods were escorted from the room by the guards at spear point. Kinzie bade Annabeth and the girls farewell and subsequently ignored the boys. In the parking lot everyone immediately turned on Piper. "What was that?" Nico demanded, just as lost as everyone else.

"And why did they take my claws?" Ryker asked, still outraged at the loss of his weapons. "And what the hell is dibs?"


	23. Arion

There were few things in the world that Hazel loved as much as Arion. Frank was the most obvious answer in response to that, and her father of course, but it would have been a very close run race. Arion was a true dream come true for her, in every sense of the word. When she had called for the horse she had not been certain that he would show up. Her relief mixed with a sense of childish delight when the stallion blew into the parking lot going from a full sprint to a dead stop in the matter of a few steps. "Hello Arion!" She said happily, summoning a gold ingot from the earth and feeding it to the horse. Arion munched the metal appreciatively and whinnied in response.

Percy sighed and shook his head while Ryker raised an eyebrow. "Hazel, seriously, your horse just got here and I he's already cursed more than I did when I was in Tartarus."

"I'm not sure that is actually possible, horse." Ryker said uncertainly, glancing at Percy.

The son of Poseidon mouth dropped open in surprise. "You can understand him?"

"Yeah, he's still pretty much wild-." Arion whinnied something and Ryker glared at him. "So I can understand him."

Percy seemed to find comfort in that fact. "At least everyone knows what I'm talking about now." He said with a small sigh of relief. "And before you ask, no, he doesn't get better. He actually gets worse."

Arion blew out a snort and Percy assumed the face of someone who had been greatly offended. Ryker frowned. What the horse had suggested for Percy to do was anatomically unlikely at best. Hazel patted Arion's neck, getting his attention. "Do you mind pulling a chariot again?" Hazel asked the horse hopefully. "Not too far, just to the Grand Canyon. Do you know where that is?"

Arion shook his mane and neighed. "He knows." Percy said dully. "I'm beginning to think that Arion can't string a sentence together without a minimum of three cuss words."

Nico and Will pulled the chariot over to Arion and looked to Hazel warily. "He's not going to like, kick us or anything, right?" Will asked.

Hazel patted her horse's neck fondly. "No, Arion is a big sweetheart." She said cooingly, hugging his neck. The stallion seemed to enjoy the praise and the attention, allowing the son of Apollo and the son of Hades to hitch him up to the chariot with no issues.

The chariot was much bigger than the average one, but it also seemed to be much sturdier. Hazel only briefly wondered if Arion would be able to pull it before deciding that asking the horse would probably only be received as an insult. She walked around to the chariot and grabbed her back, swinging it onto her shoulders and then returning to Arion and climbing onto his back. The horse barely seemed to notice her weight, again she chose not to comment in case Arion would take it as an insult, and seemed eager to get going. The other followed her example, pulling on their bags. They piled into the chariot, everyone except for Ryker, and began to tie themselves onto the chariot with industrial strength rope. The son of Cybele was staring at the chariot warily, and then back to Arion.

Hazel stared back at him curiously. "Gonna jump on?" She asked uncertainly.

It was clear to her that Ryker did not want to get on the chariot at all. "Actually…" He said slowly, walking around to the Arion's head. He raised a hand and placed it on the side of Arion's head. "I'd rather not. I'll run."

Hazel raised an eyebrow and glanced back to the others for clarification. They seemed just as lost as she was however. Annabeth cleared her throat and called, "You _did_ see how fast Arion is, right?" She asked. "You didn't go temporarily blind?"

Ryker didn't answer, staring into Arion's eyes now. Hazel watched him with rapt attention, uncertain as to what he was doing. "Ryker…?" She said slowly, "What are you doing to my horse?"

"Talking to him." He answered off-handedly.

Hazel turned back to Percy for confirmation and the son of Poseidon nodded, seemingly dazed. "I can only hear Arion's answers, but yeah, he's talking to him."

"What's he saying?" Hazel decided that Percy would be the more likely one to answer his questions.

"Right now nothing. Like I said I can only hear Arion's answers. But they don't really make sense…" Percy's voice trailed off and everyone's eyes widened in shock and surprise.

Hazel turned back and her mouth fell open in shock. A golden thread of light seemed to be coming from Arion's chest and feeding directly into Ryker's. Ryker's eyes snapped open and Hazel was startled to see that his green eyes were now golden. The exact same color as Arion's. The exact same color of the thread of light that connected the two of them. "What did you do to my horse?" She demanded, afraid that Ryker had done something to hurt Arion. It didn't seem to be the case however.

Ryker looked back to Percy, not speaking. The son of Poseidon gave a slight gasp and shook his head. "Dude, watch your mouth." He said, mystified.

"What'd Arion say?" Hazel demanded. "Is he alright? What'd-."

"No, that wasn't Arion." Percy corrected. "That was Ryker. I can…. I can hear him sort of like how I hear horses. He says he formed a temporary bond with Arion. He should be able to keep up with us now. He also has acquired Arion's tendency to swear."

Arion did not seem to be uncomfortable at all, in fact the horse seemed eager to go. Arion whinnied and Ryker grinned back at the horse with true amusement in his eyes. "Oh great." Percy groaned, holding tight to the chariot's sides. "Hang on, Arion wants to race Ryker to the Grand Canyon."

"How is Ryker going to keep-?" Will began to ask. His words were lost somewhere back in the parking lot as Arion surged forward and quickly ate up a mile in seconds.

Hazel was nearly unseated by Arion's sudden movement, but somehow managed to regain her position despite the horse's ridiculous speed. She leaned forward and glanced to the side when a flurry of movement caught her eye. For the second time in several minutes and dozens of miles her mouth dropped open in shock. Running right beside Arion was none other than Ryker. The son of Cybele was still grinning from ear to ear, evidently enjoying the speed. Arion saw him as well and snorted in an evident challenge, pushing himself to even greater heights. Ryker's smile faltered and he redoubled his effort, his legs and arms a blur as he ran to keep up with Arion. Hazel looked back to the chariot to make sure that her friends had not been lost. She was relieved to see them still trailing behind her in the chariot, although it looked like Nico had nearly been thrown off. Will was only just now steadying him. Percy and Annabeth were as pale as Lares as the chariot jumped and shook in its effort to stay together.

When they had taken the Imperial gold back from Canada to Camp Jupiter it had taken Arion four hours of running to make the trip. Hazel had thought that she had seen her horse's true speed on that trip, but she realized now just how burdened he had been by the heavy metal. She wasn't sure how long it was that Arion ran, but it couldn't have been more than half an hour. Ryker kept pace with the horse the whole time, running right beside Arion's head. Hazel saw the shift in terrain as a watercolor collage, the colors blurring together due to their massive speed. She vaguely wondered what any mortal who happened to have a camera would think about the sudden gust of wind that undoubtedly was following them. Arion's speed began to slow and just when Hazel thought that he was going to slow to a stop Arion went vertical. Literally. The horse made quick work of the side of the Grand Canyon, but that did not prevent her from experiencing serious vertigo. A slight retching sound behind her as they came to a stop on the canyon floor informed her that she was not alone in that regard.

Arion whinnied out a triumphant call and Ryker slumped to the ground. The golden thread that connected them flickered once, twice, and then faded away. "Fine," Ryker admitted between gasps for air, "You win. Happy?"

Arion shook his mane and, after Hazel detached him from the chariot, looked down on Ryker with something that Hazel considered equine superiority. He nickered slightly and Ryker scowled. The others got out of the chariot slowly, staggering drunkenly as they attempted to reclaim their sense of balance. "Never again." Nico moaned, looking exceptionally green _and_ pale which was a feat in of itself. "Never again will I travel in a chariot. I'm sticking to shadow-travel from now on."

"Do that too much and you fade into shadow." Will reminded him, searching his bag for something. He pulled out a vial of something or other and placed it under Nico's nose. The son of Hades immediately shivered and blinked rapidly. "Better?" Will asked happily, stoppering the vial and putting it back in his bag.

"Much." Nico smiled and then raised an eyebrow. "What was that?"

"Mythological smelling salts." Will said mysteriously. "Sort of. I came up with it a while ago."

Annabeth and Percy had somewhat regained their wits and were now staring around the canyon with interest. Hazel rubbed Arion's neck and summoned up a small horde of gold. Arion neighed happily and Hazel saw Percy shake his head and mutter something under his breath. Ryker was still breathing hard, leaning heavily against the metal wheel of the chariot. Hazel looked at him with some degree of concern, still unsure of what she had just witnessed. She decided to seek clarification before she passed judgement. "What was that?" She asked, crouching down to meet Ryker's eye. "How did you keep up with us?"

"Before I knew who my mother was I would have told you it was something I picked up thanks to Lupa." Ryker winced and massaged his chest with one hand. "That's when I first realized I could form bonds with animals. Now that I know who my mother is, I would say it's part of being her son."

"Bonds?" Hazel repeated uncertainly. "What do you mean? And what does Lupa have to do with it?"

"She's the one who taught me how to do it." Ryker explained. Hazel noticed that his breathing seemed to be coming easier now and the gold was fading from his eyes, being replaced by their customary forest green. "I'm not exactly sure on the specifics. But whenever I do it I take on some traits of the animal I am bonding with. It only works in short distances though. The bonds' limits aren't that far either. I have to be relatively close to the animal I am bonding with. And I have to be in direct contact with the animal to initiate it."

"So why are you so out of breath now?" Hazel asked.

"Because forming a bond takes a lot of energy." Ryker began to shift and Hazel stepped back as he got to his feet, using the chariot as a sort of crutch. "And maintaining it is hard too, especially when we are doing something like running several hundred miles."

Percy and Annabeth returned to the group after having surveyed the surrounding area. "Well, I guess it would have been too much to hope for to have Arion drop us off exactly where we need to be." Annabeth said with a small sigh.

Arion seemed to take offense at this and kicked in anger, sending the chariot flying away to shatter against the canyon wall. "In case you were wondering, Arion didn't like that very much." Percy said with a sigh that sounded to Hazel like he had resolved himself to Arion's vulgar language. "He says… You know what? Never mind. Probably shouldn't repeat it."

"Which means it's up to you, Hazel." Annabeth told her. Hazel knew what she was speaking about immediately. She could sense underground passages as a daughter of Pluto, which happened to be exactly what they were looking for. She closed her eyes and felt out the surrounding area, but nothing like they were searching for was anywhere near them.

"This might take a while." She warned, looking up and down the canyon. "Lots of ground to cover. And Arion is too fast for me to actually get a good sense, so that idea is out."

Arion whinnied again and shot off, running straight up the canyon wall with zero regard for gravity. Ryker and Percy watched him go with similar expressions of relief. "You know," Ryker began conversationally, "If he didn't have such a temper and such a bad mouth he almost would be a good horse."

Now it was Hazel's turn to be offended. "He is a _great_ horse." She said defensively.


	24. Hi Mom

As expected, finding the door that would lead them to Python and the Oracle did not make itself obvious. After Arion had left them they had set to searching almost right away. Hazel had taken the lead and the others had followed, their eyes searching the canyon walls for any sign of the door. They had encountered a flock of wild harpies that had made their homes in the canyon, but they had sent them crumbling away with relative ease. After that they had been more or less untouched by any monsters. When they had encountered the river that ran along the bottom of the canyon Percy had wondered if the door would be at the bottom of the river.

The rest of the group now stood waiting whilst Percy escorted Hazel along the bottom of the river. "Aren't you her brother?" Ryker asked Nico, crossing his arms and continually scanning the canyon for any sign of danger. On his wrists were two Celestial bronze bands that were tight against his wrist. If he flexed his fingers twice the metal bands would transform into claws that covered his hands. The only issue was that the bands of metal would no longer come off his wrists. He had tried, but they had not moved an inch. Closing his hand into a fist for more than three seconds returned the claws to their normal state.

Nico raised an eyebrow and nodded. "I am." He said with a slightly guarded expression. "Why?"

"It would be a whole lot faster if we had two people searching rather than just her." Ryker pointed out.

Nico shook his head. "Different godly parent… sort of." Nico explained. "Pluto is Hades' Roman aspect. She's like my sister… sort of removed but not really. Thalia and Jason are the same. Jason is the son of Jupiter and Thalia is the daughter of Zeus. The only difference is that their mother was the same woman."

"I see." Ryker said after processing this. "So you can't sense underground chambers or whatever this thing is?"

Nico shook his head. "I can summon the dead, shadow travel, and go in and out of the Underworld but that was a Pluto-only power. Hazel and I have some powers that we both have, but not all. She can't summon the dead."

"Pity." Ryker said, turning away from the young demigod. "That could have been useful."

"What about you Ryker?" Piper spoke up.

He raised an eyebrow in response, curious as to what she was speaking about. "What about me?" He asked warily.

"You mother is the goddess of wild animals, the forest, mountains, and _caverns_." Piper reminded him. "You might be able to look as well. Have you tried?"

"No point." Ryker said dismissively. "When my mother introduced herself to me she trapped me in an underground cave. I tried to use my power but it wasn't any use. I couldn't figure it out."

"Why not try to use it now?" Will encouraged. "It might help speed this up like you said."

Ryker was shaking his head before Will had even finished speaking. "We are about to face an unknown enemy." He reminded them firmly. "Forming that bond with Arion was strenuous enough. I don't know how to use that aspect of my mother's powers, moreover I don't know if there will be some cost to it."

"It makes sense." Annabeth, ever the strategist, nodded in agreement. "We are going to need everyone in their best shape when we go to take on Python. If he is as bad as the Amazons' records indicated, we are going to have a rough time."

Just then Percy and Hazel emerged from the River. Ryker was surprised to see that their clothes had somehow remained dry. "Find anything?" Will asked hopefully.

"Yeah." Hazel said with a satisfied nod. "I think so. There's a door on the bottom of the river a few hundred feet that way. I sensed a huge space beneath it."

"The water around the door felt weird too." Percy added, pulling off his pack and sitting down on the ground. He began to riffle through the contents of his bag until he found a sheet of silver fabric. He tossed the fabric into the air and it sprang up into a massive tent. Ryker blinked in shock and surprise, stepping back instinctively. The others however immediately disappeared inside the structure. The tent seemed to be partitioned into sections, with enough room for many more people than they had. Ryker warily stepped inside, examining the inside. "Not bad." Percy said, lounging on a bed.

"Dibs on this room." Will called from somewhere in the back.

"Dibs on the room next to his." Nico added, his voice coming from somewhere close to where Will's had.

Annabeth, Hazel, and Piper exchanged grins but they said nothing in response. "Come get a room Ryker." Piper told him, gesturing to the large space with one arm. "There's plenty of them."

"No thanks." Ryker stepped out of the tent and looked up into the sky. The sun had just finished its descent beneath the clouds and the sky had begun to darken. "I'm sleeping outside."

"Seriously?" Hazel asked. "With all the monsters out there?"

"Worried about me?" Ryker twisted his voice to take on a mocking undertone. But his words were deadly serious. He examined his wrists pointedly, drawing attention to the bronze bands around his wrists. "Don't think I can take care of myself?"

Hazel seemed hurt by the sharpness of his response. "No, that's not it." She insisted, looking very put-out. "Just didn't want you to feel left out."

"I'm fine." Ryker said, striding away from the tent. He walked as far from the tent as it took for him to just barely be able to hear their voices. Once he was content with his placement he set his bag on the ground and pulled out a bedroll from the depths of the pack. He had been unsure of the added luxury of a bedroll, especially after having slept in the woods without one for so long, but he had decided that he could afford to take it easy for once. He unfurled the roll and placed his bag under his head as he laid down. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared up at the sky, enjoying the simple beauty of the sky as it made the last transition from day to night. The stars seemed to slowly ease into the sky which made them all the more beautiful. Distant shouts and laughs echoed from the others' tent and Ryker rolled his eyes. The more time he spent with them the more tolerable he found them, but for the life of him he could not figure out why they insisted on being so accursedly _loud_. There was no rhyme or reason for it as far as he could see, they simply increased their volume in times of extreme emotion.

"I wish they would be quiet." He muttered, closing his eyes and placing one arm across them. "They'll attract monsters and I don't feel like dealing with them."

"You don't have to worry about that." A very confident voice came from above Ryker's head.

The demigod yowled like a cat and shot up into the air, summoning the claws before he had even hit the ground. He landed in a crouch, his claws ready to dismember and rip apart whatever or whoever it had been that snuck up on him. His eyes, vision perfect even at night, quickly spotted the figure. She was not wearing the same attire that he had first seen her in and her lion was nowhere to be seen, but Ryker had memorized his mother's face from the moment that he had seen her. "A little warning next time?" He asked heatedly, dismissing the claws and straightening from his stance. "Only prey get snuck up on at night."

"So what does that make you?" Cybele asked, one eyebrow raised and a half-smile playing at her lips. Ryker scowled and she laughed softly. "My apologies, I did not mean to startle you."

Ryker waved a hand dismissively, studying her. She was wearing long jeans that were streaked with dirt and a long sleeved shirt that seemed to be made of some sort of tough fabric. She looked for all the world like a mortal going for a hike. At least, in attire she did. Ryker had no trouble seeing her in the moonlight because of his night vision, but also because of the glow that she emitted. Almost as though she was a smaller version of the moon casting out smaller rays of light. Satisfied with hi examination he raised an eyebrow. "Can I help you with something?" He asked politely.

"No, I was just coming to check up on you to see how you were doing." Cybele smiled at him and then her expression grew sad. "I saw what happened to Silver. It was very unfortunate."

"If you saw that, why didn't you do something?" Ryker asked, his voice cold. "You could have saved her."

"I could have," Cybele nodded in agreement. "But doing so would have angered Zeus. That is not a wise course of action, for you or me. Prophecies must be completed by the ones that they are made for. If I had interfered who knows what disaster the Fates would have wrought?"

"So you let Silver be taken and left me for dead?" Ryker summarized. He wasn't particularly upset. He understood the necessity of things like this. In the forest only the strong survived. The weak were prey for the strong that was the one absolute rule of the wild.

To his surprise, his mother shook her head at once. "I would never abandon you." She told him. The sincerity of her tone actually gave Ryker momentary pause. "I would risk the wrath of Zeus himself before I let you die when I could prevent it. I did not interfere because that child of Hades was already on his way."

"With the others, right." Ryker nodded. "I knew that."

His mother tilted her head to one side as she studied him. "I was watching everything that night, but the only ones who were in those woods were you, Silver, Nico, and the giant. No one else." She paused and then studied her son. "Why would you think otherwise?"

Ryker glanced back at the tent, his eyes narrowed into a glare. "Because that little child of Hades invoked the code of the wild." He said stiffly. "Up until you just told me, I was under the impression that I owed all of them my life."

Cybele gazed back at the tent, her expression at odds with her son's. Where Ryker was seething in the face of what he saw as a betrayal of the small amount of trust he had placed in them, Cybele was looking at them rather fondly. "They are a good group of children." She told him, almost as though she was trying to convince him of the fact. "You have good friends."

"Not my friends." Ryker said automatically. When his mother looked at him curiously he suddenly felt obligated to explain himself, though he couldn't fathom why. "We have a mutual interest. Once I help them get back the Oracle I'm leaving."

There was a long pause as mother and son stared into each other's eyes. After the pause his mother's smile turned sad again. "I knew that letting you grow up in the wild would somewhat ostracize you from others," She admitted, "But I never imagined that the solitude would be self-imposed. I thought that you would have been thrilled with the chance to spend time with others who are like you rather than the birds and beasts of the forest."

Unsure of what to say, Ryker simply shrugged. His mother laughed softly and then sighed. "Do you know why I brought you to the wild after your father died?"

"You said before that it was so I would be a different type of fighter than the others." Ryker recalled. "You succeeded. The others… I think that I scare them."

"Humans fear that which they do not understand." Cybele agreed. "But that was not the only reason that I did so. My other reason was far more selfish. I loved your father, more than I have ever loved another human. It is not easy to attract the interest of a god you know."

"I can imagine." Ryker said warily, uncertain where this story was going.

"When he died, I was devastated. His death reminded me of just how _frail_ your mortal lives truly are." Her eyes were distant and sad as she recalled the memory. "When he died, I never wanted to feel that again. So I did the only thing I could think to do at the time. I brought you to the wild and left you there. You were always a strong-willed child, even as a babe. I knew that you would survive. The forest would mold you into a man strong enough that I would never have to endure that pain of loss ever again. And yet, for all my planning I had forgotten that time will not be halted even for a goddess. You grew up. It was not until I sent the Hunters of Artemis to search for you had I seen the error of my ways. I never wanted to feel that pain again, and yet I had only served to waste so much of the precious little amount of time I have with you."

"Precious little?" Ryker repeated. His mother seemed annoyed at herself that she had said that. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing important." She assured him, but Ryker was certain he saw unease in her eyes. "At any rate, once the Hunters had captured you I knew that I could no longer allow myself to watch you grow up from so far away."

Ryker processed his mother's words and then nodded. "What does this have to do with them?" He inclined his head towards the tent housing the other demigods.

"Try to become closer with them." His mother encouraged him. "I can see you keeping them at a distance, and I understand why. A hunter who lets down his guard often finds himself becoming hunted. They can be trusted, Ryker, I promise you that."

"Evidently not if they lied to me about saving my life." He countered. His mother's expression grew annoyed for the first time since she had appeared.

"They said what they had to in order to bring you along for this quest." She told him firmly. "They baited a trap and you walked into it."

"Doesn't mean that they can be trusted." Ryker repeated, crossing his arms.

They engaged in another staring contest and his mother, surprisingly, was the one to look away. "There will come a time, during this quest, when you have no choice but to trust in those around you." She told him. It wasn't a threat, she was merely stating a fact. "When that time comes, you will have to make a choice that will determine your own fate. Choose wisely, my son." Without another word his mother's form shined brightly and she vanished, leaving her son alone on the canyon floor.


	25. Into the Abyss

The morning brought with it a much more somber attitude than the day before. Ryker awoke well before the others and quickly packed up his effects, slinging his bag onto his back and moving to the river's edge. The sky was slowly growing lighter, but the sun had not yet made its first appearance on the horizon. After his mother had disappeared Ryker had experienced such a feeling of restlessness that he was not able to get more than a few sparse hours of sleep. He wasn't tired, too many days of dealing with little sleep had seen to that, but he was mentally weary. His mother's parting words had circled around in his head until he had begun to see them in the few dreams he had managed to begin. He stooped down at the water's edge and splashed some of the cool liquid onto his face, dissipating the last effects of sleep from his body. From where he crouched at the water's edge he stared into the center of the river, silently willing the water to part so that he could see the door that Percy and Hazel had discovered on their exploration. The water, of course, refused to budge and continued to run through the canyon despite the demigod's wishes. Ryker scratched his chin absentmindedly, as he considered what they could face. According to what they had been told, Python was an earth dragon and a rather well-known one at that. In Ryker's experience, creatures that were well known had become so for a reason. On top of that, they had no idea what manner of monsters would be guarding their master's lair. For all Ryker knew it could be a massive horde of _other_ earth dragons. _That would be difficult._ He admitted. He had faced only one dragon in his life, and that had been a young water dragon. Ryker had not won that particular battle, escaping into the woods before the beast could further damage him. The water dragon had been able to send blasts of ridiculously high pressure water from its mouth and Ryker had been keen to avoid them after a row of trees had quite literally been disintegrated by the dragon. An earth dragon would be undoubtedly even more difficult.

Ryker was so lost in his contemplations that he did not see when the others staggered wearily out of the tent, rubbing their eyes. Hazel and Will held cups of steaming liquid to their chests, almost as though the liquid was precious to them. Perhaps it was. "Morning." Percy grumbled, striding past Ryker and marching directly into the water. The son of Poseidon disappeared beneath the surface and Ryker lost sight of him. He blinked in slight surprise at Percy's abrupt disappearance.

Back at the tent, a crackling sound and the scent of smoke alerted Ryker to a fire. He turned where he crouched and saw a curl of smoke wafting up from the tent. He pushed to his feet and pursued the smell of fire, curious to see what it was that they were up to. Inside the tent Nico, Hazel, and Annabeth were sitting at a table while Will went about preparing food over a large rather ornate stove. Ryker ducked his head under the overhead and searched the cabin for their missing party member. Will, who strongly resembled a gold-haired zombie that Nico had summoned from the underworld, seemed to notice his search and nodded to one of the rooms. "Piper is still asleep." He said in a dead voice. He reached for his cup of steaming liquid as he simultaneously began cracking eggs with his free hand. Ryker took a moment to appreciate the change in demeanor that Will had exhibited. Ryker had never seen him so lethargic, moreover he had never seen him without the usual glow of cheerfulness that seemed to follow him around. In all honesty, the child of the Lord of the dead looked livelier than Will at that moment.

"You look awful." Ryker commented.

Will shot him with a glare that Ryker almost felt inclined to be intimidated by, mostly because he had never seen Will so much as frown angrily. "You are one of _those_ people, aren't you?" He hissed through narrowed eyes. He took another long draft of his drink and at the same time, a bitter smell wafted over to Ryker.

"One of what people?" Ryker asked, covering his nose and screwing up his face as a second assault of the bitter smell attacked him. "And why are you drinking liquid death?"

Annabeth looked up from a sheaf of papers that she had procured from somewhere and rolled her eyes, though Ryker saw that she was also not in top form. In fact, the liveliest out of the bunch was the one who smelled like death as a constant. Nico seemed rather amused by the conversation in fact. "Will considers morning people to be only slightly above monsters in terms of likability." Annabeth explained.

"And he isn't drinking liquid death." Nico added. "Trust me. I've seen it. What _he's_ drinking is coffee."

"It smells awful." Ryker insisted, his nose still covered in a vain attempt to stay the scent.

"Will prefers his coffee to be as dark as Hades." Hazel told Ryker in apparent sympathy while she stirred in large amounts of what looked to be honey into her own coffee. The extra ingredient significantly diluted the coffee's scent, which Ryker was immensely grateful for.

"Stupid morning person." Will grumbled, angrily attacking the egg with a metal device that Ryker could not identify. "Why can't you be miserable to be up so early like the rest of us?"

"If you were still tired why did you bother getting up?" Ryker snapped back, quickly growing annoyed at the irritating way Will seemed to view the world at present. "Piper evidently didn't want to wake up, so why don't you go back to sleep?"

"Because I need to wake up!" Will said in a voice that Ryker was certain he had intended to be menacing. Unfortunately it came off like Will had swallowed a frog. "I don't _want_ to wake up but I have to. Now are you going to stand there and make my morning even worse than it usually is, or are you going to help me cook?"

"I am going to stand here and make your morning worse." Ryker said unhesitatingly.

The tent was silent for a full minute before the three half-bloods sitting at the table burst into a fit of laughter. Will seemed bewildered by Ryker's response, just as Ryker was bewildered by the other three demigod's reactions to his statement. Every time that it looked like one of them was about to get themselves under control they would look at Will or Ryker's faces and their laughing fit would be renewed. This continued for perhaps five minutes, and probably would have continued for much longer had Percy not returned to the tent. As before, Ryker was thrown by the lack of water on Percy's clothes. Being a son of the god of the seas, Ryker had almost expected him to be constantly dripping water. Evidently that was not the case at all.

"What are you laughing at?" Percy asked brightly, taking a seat at the table. "Tell me, I wanna laugh too."

"Ryker made a joke." Nico said, still chuckling. For some reason Percy's return seemed to have a sobering effect on the group. Almost like they knew that the time to get serious about things was upon them. "Annabeth, you wanna go wake up Piper? We should speak about how we are going to do this."

"What joke did I make?" Ryker asked Nico.

"You said you were going to make his morning worse instead of leaving him alone." Nico said uncertainly. "You were joking, right?"

"No, that was a statement of fact." Ryker answered. "I have every intention of making him suffer from this point on. Payment for that damned whistle."

Will gave a small groan of dismay and brought the large plate of eggs, sausages, and other food over to the table. The other demigods immediately tore into the food with a ferocity that Ryker was actually impressed by. He snagged a stray piece of sausage and an apple and happily devoured them with frightening quickness. The others were still eating, Piper had yet to actually say a word to anyone, so Ryker waited patiently outside. He didn't understand how they could be so lethargic so early in the morning. Prey moved in the morning. Any hunter knew that. To have the best chance at your prey you had to adjust to the prey's schedule and habits. Being fully awake and alert in the morning was tantamount to being able to eat. Rest was for the afternoons, when all the prey had gone to ground and were resting.

A screech overhead drew Ryker's attention and he sidestepped just as a harpy dove at the ground, his neck her intended target. He flexed his right hand and the claws sprang forth. When the harpy flapped to get away and presumably gain altitude for another attack Ryker stepped forward, his claws flashing in the morning sunlight. When the others stormed out of the tent, their weapons drawn, the harpy had already crumbled away to dust leaving behind a pile of vibrant blue feathers.

"What happened?" Piper demanded, her first words since waking up. "We heard a scream."

"Harpy." Ryker answered, dismissing the claws from his right hand. He looked all of them in the eye and then switched his gaze to the river. "This isn't going to be an easy fight. Are you ready?"

"I don't think 'ready' is a term I would use." Percy muttered under his breath. "Prepared maybe."

"They mean the same thing, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth told him, but her smile was tight. She was just as nervous as the rest of them. Walking into enemy territory with no idea of what they were facing, or even what sort of terrain they were dealing with was among the worst strategies she had ever heard. "How many can you take at a time?"

"Probably just one." Percy admitted. "I have to keep our clothes dry too so that we don't get too slow from water when we get down there. So who's first?"

"Me." Ryker stepped forward immediately. He felt a familiar wild recklessness begin to sing in his blood as the promise of a fight loomed in front of him. "I'll go first."

"Are you sure Ryker?" Hazel cautioned. His answering glance must have been more severe than he intended because she shrank back slightly. "Fine, fine." She muttered, her hand on her _spatha_.

"You ready?" Ryker turned to Percy and then headed for the water. Ryker stepped into the river and smiled when he did not feel the water fill his boots. Percy grabbed Ryker by the shoulders as they dove underneath the water.

For perhaps the first time, Ryker was truly appreciative of Percy. They zoomed through the water like fish, quickly making their way to the door. Percy paused in the water above the door and pointed. "That's it." He said a tad unnecessarily. "You sure you are ready?"

Ryker swam down and seized the door's handle. He had expected it to be difficult to open, but it came free with relative ease. He sent one confident smile back to Percy before disappearing through the opening. The second he was through the door he knew that the first challenge was already in place. The water did not follow him through the door, instead it hovered around the outside like it was stopped by some sort of invisible barrier. Warm air was all that awaited Ryker on the other side. He fell down perhaps twenty feet, rolling when his feet struck ground to absorb the impact. He came up with his claws ready and a wild grin on his face. What he saw laid out before him caused even his reckless confidence to take a hit.

Hundreds if not thousands of dragons, all of them varying in color and size, were stretched out in front of him. It was clear what they were guarding, a set of massive doors on the other end of the chasm. The dragons hissed at the intruder and several took to the air while others burrowed into the ground. The door closed above Ryker and he was grateful for the light that seemed that the walls of the cavern seemed to emit. He took a steadying breath, his eyes downcast. When he looked up again his wild recklessness had returned and a laugh sprang from his chest. "Oh _yes,_ " He said, shivering with ecstasy, "This… _this_ is going to be incredible."

 **...Dragons, mate. Dragons.- Hallowed**


	26. Search

The second that Percy's head broke the water's surface with a gasp Nico knew instinctively that something was very wrong. The group met him at the side of the river and Nico had his suspicions confirmed almost instantly. "Dragons!" Percy said immediately. "Dragons are guarding Python!"

"Don't worry about the clothes then," Will said decisively, "Just get the rest of us to the door."

"It's _gone_!" Percy said, desperation in every word. "Once Ryker went through it closed and disappeared."

"Where did it go?" Piper demanded of no one in particular. She glanced to Hazel in a silent question, but the daughter of Pluto shook her head vigorously. "How do we find it again? It took us hours to find it the first time!"

"That's assuming that it only moved positions." Nico said, hating the thought but knowing that he had to be the rational one. "The Doors of Death move so that only Thanatos knows where they are at. These doors might lock themselves once someone goes through. Apollo _was_ the only one who rescued Delphi before after all. Maybe the trap is that only one god or demigod can go there at a time."

The others assumed a stunned silence at Nico's thought and they lapsed into a silence, all of them working desperately to come up with a solution to go to their friend's aid. Nico's own mind was no different. He mentally ran through each of their individual powers, including his own, but none of them were of any particular use when it came to quickly locating something that may not have even been there. He saw the others desperately cast their eyes to the sky, undoubtedly beseeching their godly parents for advice or some sort of assistance. Though it was a long shot, Nico did the same. He however did not cast his eyes up at the sky. He gazed down at the earth, down to where the Underworld was, to where his father resided in his dark palace. _Listen, Dad, I know you might not be able to help,_ Nico began lamely. He gave an inward sigh, unhappy with asking his father for help. Though their relationship had begun to take a relatively positive turn, Nico knew that his father was still unlikely to help. _But right now we really need you, or any of the gods, to help. Otherwise we are screwed._

The others were still looking at the sky hopefully, almost as though they expected their godly parent to appear in the sky driving their divine chariots to their aid. None of them seemed to be having much luck, their expressions growing bleaker by the second. Hazel was the first one to give up, her gaze snapping back to the earth and then crouching down to place a hand against the dirt. "Can you feel the cavern still?" Nico asked, kneeling in the dirt beside her.

Hazel shook her head in aggravation and dismay. "No, not even slightly." She said, "Which _shouldn't_ be possible. It isn't exactly small, it's _huge_."

"Which means that it is probably being hidden magically." Nico muttered.

"You mean, like the Labyrinth?" Annabeth inquired, her brow still furrowed as her analytical mind undoubtedly dissected the problem on a microscopic level. "The Labyrinth constantly rearranges itself. Do you think that the chamber could have just relocated?"

"It's possible." Nico allowed, though he wasn't convinced. He glanced to Hazel and then added the rest. "But moving a cavern as big as this one would definitely take a lot of magic."

"And I didn't sense anything." Thankfully, Hazel seemed to instantly understand what Nico was getting at. "I bet it's still there just… hidden."

"We have to do something!" Percy said, his voice now on the edge of panic.

Nico knew this side of Percy well. It was his fatal flaw. He could simply not fathom letting a friend die, particularly when he was helpless to stop it. Such a fatal flaw, while immensely reassuring to his friends, was something that Nico saw as a true weakness. Percy could not separate himself enough from the problem for his emotions to not become an issue. Soon, Percy would undoubtedly dive into the river and begin tearing apart the river bed in a desperate attempt to reach the cavern through sheer force of will. Will caught his eye and Nico knew that he had reached the same conclusion. Will was stubborn, Nico had unfortunately learned this through many experiences, but he could retain a certain amount of level-headedness when it was needed. Nico looked down at the earth again and blinked in surprise. At his feet, resting on what looked like a small animal's ribcage, was a small folded piece of paper. He stooped down at picked it up, sending the bones back into the earth. Will and Hazel had seen Nico retrieve the paper and looked at him curiously as he unfolded it. He immediately recognized the handwriting as his father's.

 _All shadows have a source._

Those five words were the only thing written on the paper. At the bottom it looked like Hades had stamped in; 'Hades, Lord of the Underworld, Curator of Di Angelo Funeral Homes.' Nico frowned at the last. He wasn't entirely sure when his father had opened up a funeral home with his last name, moreover _why_ he had. It made sense, Nico had to admit, that the Lord of the Dead would run a funeral home but he wished that Hades would have picked a different name.

Will tried to peek around Nico's hand to see the paper, but Nico turned the paper into a shadow on instinct. Will shot him a glare and Nico shrugged. He didn't want anyone knowing about the funeral home thing. Too many potential bad jokes. "What was that?" Hazel inquired. "From Dad?"

Nico nodded. "Yeah," He hesitated and then sighed. His father's advice, while actually helpful for a change, was not particularly good advice. He clapped his hands together loudly and instantly drew the attention of everyone assembled. "I might have a way to get to Ryker." He said slowly.

Percy instantly seized upon the thought. "Then why are we still standing here?" He demanded. "How do we get to him?"

"I said might." Nico repeated. He sighed and then launched into a quick explanation. "It could, and I stress _could_ , be possible to shadow-travel to him."

Percy opened his mouth but Nico shot him a look. He did not like being interrupted very much, especially when time was something they had in short supply. "Every shadow has a source." The words felt odd on his lips, but he forged on. "That means pretty much every shadow can be reached. As long as Ryker is casting a shadow, it's theoretically possible to get to him."

"I sense a 'but' incoming." Piper noted, but Nico was sure she saw the glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"But," Nico agreed, "The problem is that I have an _idea_ at best as to where Ryker is. Shadow-travel is not an exact science by any means. Not even a little bit. I usually have to have a pretty good idea of where I am going to even end up close to there."

"What about when you were moving the Athena statue?" Annabeth asked, "You didn't have an idea where you were going there, right? You just moved several hundred miles at a time."

"That was different." Nico told her. "Moving in a general direction is easier because there is no precision required, it just takes energy. Ending up in a specific shadow is extremely difficult. I usually have to be alone. People make shadow-travel harder, mostly because it's more people to transport. It takes an incredible amount of concentration to keep you from ending up all over the place."

"You have Hazel now, though." Percy said eagerly. "You both got us out of-."

Nico shook his head, not bothering to hear him finish. "Again, different." He said simply. "It would actually be even harder with Hazel. We would both have to have the _exact_ same place in mind, down to the exact mental picture. A single detail off and half of us could end up with Ryker and the other half could end up back in Camp Half-Blood, if you are lucky."

"So if it is so risky, why would you bring it up?" Will asked, his tone not angry. Instead he was prompting Nico, a trusting smile on his face. Nico smiled back, the trust boosting his confidence slightly.

"Every shadow has a different _feel_ to it." Nico paused for a moment as he considered how best to explain this. "Everyone has a different personality, shadows are the same way. No two shadows are the same. I've felt Ryker's shadow before, it was unique. Just like him. There's a chance I could find him using that. It's still very risky though, if I go too far by accident I will be too tired to shadow-travel again."

"So our choice is to either risk shadow-travel or wait and see if the door reappears." Annabeth summarized. The others seemed to consider this problem facing them. "We have to take a vote, it's only fair."

"Shadow-travel." Percy said immediately, shooting Nico a thumbs-up. "I believe in you man."

"Believing in me has nothing to do with is." Nico said dryly. "You can believe in me all you want and we could still end up in Italy."

"Shadow-travel." Annabeth nodded. "It's our best chance."

"Shadow-travel." Piper agreed.

"I agree." Hazel said, and Will echoed her agreement with a nod.

The group looked at Nico as one and he nodded. "Everyone hold hands." He commanded, taking Will's hand in one and Hazel's in the other. The others quickly formed a ring and Nico closed his eyes. He gathered forth all the energy he could muster and focused on Ryker's shadow. What he hadn't told the others is _what_ his shadow felt like. Putting it into words would have been difficult anyways. Ryker's shadow felt like the howls of wolves, the screech of hawks, the hiss of snakes, and many more predators' warnings. It wasn't a particularly evil feeling, but it was also something that warned to stay away. When Nico had formed a mental picture of Ryker and put the feeling of his shadow with the image. He released his stored energy and the group disappeared the next instant.

The shadow-travel was extremely quick but Nico still felt the massive drain on his energy as they moved. When they solidified, Nico was temporarily confused. He was certain that the shadow travel had worked, dragons were everywhere, but Ryker was nowhere to be seen. It seemed as though they had actually ended up in a dragon's shadow. Curiously, the beast had not seemed to notice them. It was an average sized dark green dragon with wings that were covered in golden ichor. In fact, the dragon seemed to be in pain. Its claws worked at its chest, opening up new wounds.

"What's going on?" Percy asked, Riptide uncapped and held before him at the ready. He, like the others, were alternating glances from the dragons that surrounded them and the one who stood over them in obvious distress.

"I don't know." Will answered, his voice stressed as he drew his own sword. "Why is it acting like it is in pain?"

"And where is Ryker?" Annabeth's eyes roamed the cavern for the missing demigod.

Nico's body seemed ready to shut down after transporting so many people into a specific point. He managed to avoid that by falling to one knee, but that wasn't much better. "I'm not going to be much use." He warned, though he drew his Stygian iron sword all the same. The dark blade seemed eager for the fray, drinking up the darkness of the cavern and making it just a bit darker.

"We'll protect you." Hazel promised, moving to stand in front of him. It was a slightly unnecessary and futile gesture with dragons surrounding them, but Nico appreciated it nonetheless. "But this would be better if we knew where Ryker was."

All of their questions were answered the next moment when the dragon that writhed in pain suddenly stopped moving. Its chest rose as it took in a breath, and then continued rising as something pushed beneath its skin. Several muffled snaps seemed to come from within the dragon's chest and then all at once Ryker broke free from the dragon's ribcage. He climbed out of the dragon's chest, landing on the ground when the beast crumbled to dust. Ryker's shirt had been ripped away and his shorts hung in tatters. Several long scars covered his chest and his back. Some of his skin had clearly been burned away by the dragon's stomach acid leaving angry red patches behind. But despite his wounds Nico saw that Ryker had barely slowed a step.

His eyes were different than Nico had ever seen them and Nico realized with a start that Ryker was not the same. A faint aura seemed to be surrounding the son of Cybele, just enough for Ryker to tell that it was there. When Nico focused on it he saw various shapes forming, flickering, and then be replaced by a different form. Ryker turned towards the demigods and Percy grinned at him in greeting. "Found you!" He called.

Nico would have warned him against such a course of action until they knew what it was that was affecting Ryker. But he didn't have the chance. The hunter studied them with a predator's eyes before turning away from them and dropping to all fours, his claws digging into the cavern's floor. Ryker then loosed a terrible roar, one that was just as menacing as the dragons' and then charged off at the beasts.


	27. Cavern

The cavern before the doors that led to Python descended into madness faster than the demigods would have thought possible. Though they attempted to remain as a group it wasn't long before they had been separated. Percy, always the opportunist, ducked and cut his way past two dragons leaving them dripping ichor onto the ground and roaring in frustration. A blue dragon, Percy _really_ hoped blue meant water, opened it mouth and sent a jet of high pressure water at the son of Poseidon. Percy grinned in success, taking control of the water as it came near him. The dragon seemed perplexed by this unexpected development and hesitated a moment before sending a second jet of water at its target. Percy took that water too. As he fought the water swirled around him in a protective orb, parting when he attacked and closing around him when he defended. It proved to be extremely effective against the blue water dragons, especially since every jet of water they sent at him added to his liquid shield, and the red dragons which he was unsurprised to see breathed fire. The real problem was the brown and green dragons. Percy had almost been reduced to a puddle when he discovered that the green dragons did not breathe fire or water, instead they breathed jets of very volatile acid. The brown dragons on the other hand released a cloud of what Percy guessed was poison. Thankfully the poison seemed to dissipate fairly quickly, otherwise they would have been in very big trouble. As he fended off yet another pillar of flame Percy allowed himself to quickly check on the others. Annabeth was fighting in a way that befitted a daughter of Athena: strategically. She waited for a dragon to lash out too far or leave itself exposed in some way and then she would rush forward and cut away at the beast. Percy felt a glimmer of pride and affection when he saw his girlfriend fearlessly infuriating and fighting against multiple dragons.

Dragging his eyes across the cavern Percy saw that his initial estimates of the dragons' numbers had been off. He had first thought there were dozens and dozens of them, but that was probably the ADHD. He couldn't focus on just one and had undoubtedly counted several of them more than once. There were actually probably about twenty dragons at most which was nineteen more than their group should have been forced to handle. Percy leapt backwards as a green dragon attempted to bathe him in an acid. His water-shield turned a motley shade of green as some of the acid splashed into it and Percy made a mental note not to touch the water any more. He vaulted onto the top of a blue dragon, running up its back and cutting at the beast's neck. The dragon roared in pain but, to Percy's great annoyance, did not dissolve into a cloud of dust. As Percy leapt off the beast it whipped its tail at him but Percy's shield absorbed the blow. He was sent flying across the space, skidding to a halt right beside Piper. Like Annabeth, she seemed to be having absolutely no issues holding her own against the beasts. Although Percy soon realized that she had taken a different route than Annabeth. Piper had seemingly _charmspeaked_ one of the red dragons and was now directing it around to attack its compatriots. She glanced at Percy, nodded, and continued speaking to the dragon in warm, soothing, and reassuring tones. It occurred to Percy that this was the same voice she used when she was speaking to a startled newborn Pegasus or unicorn. "Neat trick." Percy said before moving away from her. Piper's charmspeak was an extremely effective tool, but it had the unfortunate tendency to work on her allies as well and Percy had no intention of getting in the middle of a dragon-on-dragon fight.

He ran at a smaller deep green dragon, his wall of water moving in front of him to protect him from the inevitable acid breath. The dragon opened its mouth to presumably do just that but it suddenly pitched over as its back feet fell through a hole in the earth. Percy looked for Hazel, this was for sure her handiwork, but could not find her which didn't bother him. A few seconds later various gemstones seemed to pour from the ground and fire at the dragon like buckshot. The dragon roared and thrashed against the trap but soon crumbled to dust leaving its massive head and what looked like a dragon-hide cloak behind. "Great job!" Percy shouted. He spun around and nearly decapitated what looked like a skeleton warrior in a faded camouflage uniform. It wielded what appeared to be a stygian iron sword and it charged at a brown dragon, followed by a dozen more of its undead comrades. Nico. Percy looked for the son of Hades but, like Hazel, he did not seem to be visible.

Will was at the edge of the cavern, his bow drawn, firing arrow after arrow at the dragon's eyes and rarely missing. More than one dragon had been reduced to using one eye to search out their prey as its other was pierced by an Imperial Gold arrow. Every time that an arrow would zero in on the son of Apollo will would mysteriously vanish via an underground tunnel or seemingly step into thin air and disappear. He would reappear several hundred feet away from where he had been and resume firing arrows, an expression of fierce concentration on his usually cheerful face. Percy waved at him encouragingly and then turned his attention to another dragon, a blue one this time. He danced in with several teasing sword strikes, hoping to infuriate the beast into spraying water at him, and then leapt back as the dragon's tail came crashing forward. Percy was just about to rush forward again when the dragon suddenly began to convulse and roar, its wings flapping like mad. Percy warily back up a few steps, momentarily confused by the dragon's sudden spasm, and quickly saw what caused the beast's discomfort. Ryker was running across the beast's back, his claws tearing chunks out of the beast's hide. He leapt onto the beast's neck and, to Percy's surprise and slight disgust, _bit_ the dragon's flesh. Ryker spat out the flesh and began to slash at the dragon over and over until his arms were coated with a fresh coat of golden ichor. The dragon quickly crumbled away to dust and Ryker let loose a howl that seemed more beast than human, the sound bouncing off the cavern and drawing the attention of another dragon.

Deciding that being near Ryker wasn't perhaps the wisest idea, Percy returned to Annabeth's side just as the dragon she fought crumbled away with her sword in its chest. "Hey Seaweed Brain," She said through gritted teeth as she charged at another dragon, Percy at her side this time. "Having fun?"

"We really need to put a hold on these quests." Percy complained, blocking a dragon's claw with his water shield and pushing away the beast. They had only been in the cavern for perhaps fifteen minutes and it was already growing difficult to maintain the water shield. "Ugh, come _on_ , how many are left?" Percy demanded, Riptide slashing through the thin membrane of a dragon's wing.

"Less talking, more fighting." Annabeth snapped back. Percy was certain that he heard the signs of weariness in her voice, as well as his own. This sort of battle, which had been rather hopeless at the beginning, was now looking more and more possible _if_ they could continue fighting as they were. The dragon that Percy fought suddenly fell through the ground and Percy was presented with a lovely target. Riptide slashed through the flesh of the dragon's neck and the beast crumbled away. "Four. There are four left." Annabeth panted, her own dragon nothing more than a pile of bones.

"Oh, well four is just great." Percy sighed, looking around the cavern for their next targets. He was relieved to see that two of the dragons seemed more intent on fighting one another than the demigods, undoubtedly courtesy of Piper McLean.

The third was being slashed at from all directions by a small army of skeletal warriors and it seemed to Percy that the beast would soon be overwhelmed, particularly since the skeletons had a tendency of fighting on even if they lost an arm or were bitten in half.

The fourth dragon brought a moment of surprise to Percy and the others. "No way." Annabeth said in a low voice.

Hazel and Nico appeared out of the Mist beside them and shook their head in agreement. "Definitely cool." Hazel admitted.

The dragon, an average sized red beast, was not even attempting to fight Ryker. In fact, it had pressed itself against the ground in what Percy had thought was a demonstration of submission that some animals exhibited. Ryker was standing in front of the beast, a snarl on his face, crouched over and ready to attack. The hunter strode around the side of the beast, a clawed hand running along the beast's hide, and stopped when he was next to the dragon's chest. With a sudden savage grin Ryker plunged his clawed arm into the dragon's chest, disintegrating the beast. Ryker loosed another wild howl and began to look for his next victim.

Disgust was never something that Percy would have thought he would've felt at a monster's death and yet the way that Ryker killed that dragon filled him with the emotion. Percy placed great value on leniency and that dragon, monster or not, had surrendered. Percy was about to march over to Ryker and read him the riot act when Annabeth grabbed his arm, stopping him. "Look," She said, her eyes locked on Ryker.

Percy followed her gaze and he quickly found what she was referring to. Wrapped around Ryker like Percy's water shield had been wrapped around him was a strange sort of energy. As Percy watched the energy took form as various different animals, all of them apex predators. Ryker himself seemed to be different as well. He scanned the cavern and his gaze settled upon Percy and the others. His lip twitched in a snarl and he slowly began to stalk across the floor.

"That doesn't seem good." Will said in a low voice and Percy nodded in agreement. "I think…. I think he might be _hunting_ us."

"Ryker?" Annabeth called warily. Percy saw that her sword was held at the ready and he mirrored her readiness with Riptide. "It's over now. We won."

"What's going on?" Piper asked, joining them. Percy glanced around the cavern again and saw that the remaining dragons had been dealt with. "Whoa. What's… what's Ryker doing? What's that thing around him? Is that Cybele's blessing?"

"I think it might be Mars' doing actually." Hazel said darkly, her mouth pulled into a frown. She cleared her throat and repeated Mars' words. " _You, who fights like a beast of the wild, will become more and more like a beast the more you fight like them._ "

"So you think that this is _that_?" Nico asked. He regarded Ryker for a long moment and then shrugged. "Could be. He… he doesn't feel human right now. He feels more like an animal."

"Uh, guys?" Will asked, eyeing Ryker as the hunter drew ever closer. "Less thinking more planning. He looks like he wants to eat us."

Annabeth thought for a moment before glancing at Piper. "You woke Festus up with your voice." She stated.

Piper nodded hesitantly. "Yeah," She said at length. "You want me to try the same thing with him?"

"Either that or try to surrender." Nico said darkly. "And we saw how well that went for the dragon." Percy was surprised to hear the same tone of disgust in Nico's voice that he himself had experienced. Perhaps Nico, being the son of the Lord of the Underworld, had greater feelings of discontent when an unnecessary life was taken.

Piper stepped forward uncertainly and Ryker took that to be a challenge. He leaned forward and began to run just as Piper shouted out with a voice that was layered with Charmspeak; "RYKER! WAKE UP!"

Percy instantly felt wide awake despite the fact that the words had not even been directed at him. He glanced around and saw that the others had been similarly affected. Ryker looked like he had run headlong into a brick wall. The aura that had been surrounding him vanished and he fell to his knees, his eyes distant. He sucked in a rattling breath and his eyes abruptly grew focused and sharp. His claws vanished and he fell onto his hands, retching. The others looked at each other with varying degrees of panic, but Will was the first to recover. He strode confidently to Ryker's side and pushed the infirm demigod onto his side. Percy watched with curiosity as Will grabbed Ryker's hand and then immediately paled. Will pulled off his bag and stuffed a rather large square of ambrosia into Ryker's mouth. When the son of Cybele attempted to spit it out on reflex Will did something that Percy was certain was not medically correct. He placed his hand over Ryker's mouth and forced the wild demigod to eat the food.

"Are you trying to kill him?" Hazel asked, repulsed by Will's unusually rough treatment.

"He needs ambrosia." Will said, his hand still over Ryker's mouth. "His vitals were incredibly weak. Whatever it is that lets him fight like that, it takes an incredible toll on his body. His heartbeat was far too slow and his blood sugar levels were dangerously low."

"How long until he's back on his feet?" Annabeth asked. Percy was sure that she heard worry in her voice, though whether it was for the quest or the infirm demigod Percy wasn't certain.

Will pressed a hand to Ryker's chest and shook his head. "He isn't going to be fighting any time soon." He said with utter certainty. "He's too weak. That must be the drawback to his power. When it fades off he becomes incredibly weak. I doubt he could stand right now, much less run or fight."

"We have time," Nico said reasonably, crouching down next to Ryker. "He's not close to death, how long will he have to rest?"

It struck Percy as odd then, just how helpful those two could be working in concert like they were. Will had the medical expertise to save a life and Nico had the ability to keep souls from leaving a body, if only for a short time. Percy had been thrown by their relationship at first but now he truly appreciated how much they complemented each other. As different as night and day, and yet one could not exist without the other. He glanced to Piper and he saw a small smile on her lips and he had the distinct impression that the daughter of the goddess of love was thinking along the same lines he was.

"It will take him at least a day." Will said heavily. Ryker had seemingly dozed off after his forced meal, his eyes closed and his chest rising and falling evenly. "Maybe longer. Also, I need to stay with him. I need to see if I can figure out what triggered whatever it was that he just did. If I'm right then this is going to be time based. The more time he spends in that form or whatever it is, the bigger the whiplash it gives him."

"Sort of like how too much shadow-travel causes me to fade." Nico suggested.

Will nodded. "Exactly like that."

"So, what do you guys think we should do?" Piper asked. "Should we wait and go after Python all together, or should we try to get the Oracle back with just the five of us?"

"Strategically speaking it would be wisest to wait for everyone to be completely healed." Annabeth said slowly, "But we also don't know how about this. There are too many variables here. We need to act soon."

"Do we even need to fight Python?" Piper asked suddenly. "Maybe I could charmspeak him into giving me the Oracle?"

"Maybe." Annabeth allowed. "But I wouldn't bet on that working. I'm not doubting your skills, but relying on that could get us killed."

"What about shadow-travel?" Nico suggested. "If you can distract him I can run and grab the Oracle and then shadow-travel out of there."

"What if the doors close behind us and seal magically?" Percy shot the idea down with a shake of his head. "You said it before, it's hard to end up in a specific shadow. We got lucky last time, I don't want to push it."

"What do you think we should do then?" Hazel asked exasperatedly.

"I think we should do what we just did here." Percy said honestly. "We just took down like two dozen dragons, plus however many Ryker took on before we got here. If we all do what we did against them against Python we should be able to beat him."

"It could work." Annabeth allowed. She glanced down at Ryker and Will. "But we would be missing two members. And you are all assuming that the Oracle is going to be easy to transport. What if it isn't small at all?"

Percy and the others fell silent as they considered her words. They were all lost in silent contemplation when Will gave a sudden shout of surprise. He fell back onto his butt, the hand he had been touching Ryker with now a bright red. It took Percy a moment to realize that it was covered in red angry blisters as though he had been touching something hot. Percy looked over to Ryker and his mouth dropped open in surprise. The golden ichor that had been splashed across Ryker's chest and arms was now steaming off his body. Ryker's eyes snapped open and he leapt to his feet, his eyes wild. "Whoa!" Percy said, raising his hands and backing away.

"What happened?" Ryker demanded, his skin still steaming. He staggered a step and he braced himself, his arms hanging loosely at his sides. His stance was not aggressive Percy was happy to see, it was simply confused. "What did… where are the dragons?"

"What do you remember?" Will asked, rising to his feet. He placed the back of his hand an inch away from Ryker's skin and frowned.

Ryker seemed to become aware of the golden steam rising off his chest and looked down at his palm in dismay. "One use left." He muttered, closing his fist.

"One use of what?" Annabeth asked, gesturing for Ryker to show her his palm.

Ryker obliged, showing the mark of a flaming spear on his hand. "Mars gave me this when he introduced himself." Ryker explained. "Said it was useful for my way of fighting."

"So it's pretty much an auto-recovery." Nico said brightly. When the others looked at him Nico assumed a defensive look. "I've been playing video games alright?"

 **Hello my readers, Hallowed here. I wanted to take the time to wish all of you a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Years. A bit late on the Christmas, but better late than never. For all of you that don't celebrate Christmas, Happy Holidays! I would like to take a moment and thank all of you for taking the time to read my story. All of you are awesome! Wishing you the very best!**

 **Cheers, Hallowed**


	28. I Know You

In the end they decided to remain together. There was a moment when Will attempted to have Ryker stay behind in case he had any lingering fatigue but, after a brief argument, they agreed that it would make sense for him to come along. "Fine, but he stays back unless absolutely necessary." Will snapped, not at all happy that the doctor's order were not being followed. He glared at Ryker. "Got it?"

"We'll see." Ryker said, meeting his eyes with a cold stare. Piper had to admit that, while extremely small, it was better progress than the absolute dismissal Ryker would have given when they first met.

Once they had rested for what Will deemed an appropriate amount of time, they made their way to the large doors that led to Python. "Everyone ready?" Percy asked, turning back to face the group.

"As ready as I can be." Piper answered. She was nervous but she was also resolved to win this battle. She paused and then considered her thought. Such a thought was unlike her. She blamed Ryker and his apparent love of battle. She glanced over to the demigod in question and examined the cold glare he was directing at the door. His claws were already summoned and ready at his side. Piper had decided that she actually liked Ryker. There was something refreshing about the way he said exactly what was on his mind, even if what was on his mind was usually crass at best. She could also see why her mother, at least one aspect of her, took such an interest in him. Not only did he seem to have absolutely no clue about the workings of the heart, he seemed to be perfectly oblivious to them. The Amazon who had claimed his old pairs of claws, Victoria she recalled, was clearly intrigued by the hunter and yet Ryker had not seen it at all. _To be fair I don't think any of the boys noticed._ Piper admitted to herself with a disappointed sigh. _Then again, they really wouldn't be looking. All of them are in relationships._

"How are we going to get it open?" Hazel asked, looking the door up and down. Piper knew where she was coming from, the doors were _huge_. Big enough for several dragons to fit through at the same time. _Or one massive dragon._ She said with a feeling of apprehension.

Percy stepped forward and pressed a hand to the door, pushing hard. To everyone's surprise the doors swung open with ease, revealing a grand chamber. Torches lined the side and piles of gold and jewels sat in odd places. The far wall seemed to have a carved likeness of a dragon, though it was too big to actually be real. They advanced warily, all of them searching for their opponent and the Oracle. "There." Nico said, pointing with his sword at what appeared to be a massive jar much like the one he had been kept inside. "That's where she's being kept. I can feel it. But… there's something off about it."

"What do you mean?" Annabeth asked warily, her gaze fixed on the jar.

"The Oracle… it feels… familiar." Nico said, but Piper heard the unmistakable sound of confusion in his voice. "Like I've felt it before."

"You _have_ met Rachel." Will reminded him, but it was clear he was just as apprehensive as Nico was. "Maybe that's why?"

Nico just shook his head. "I thought Python was supposed to be guarding her?" Ryker asked, his voice harsher than normal.

"Maybe he stepped out?" Percy asked hopefully. Ryker shot him a disbelieving look and shook his head. "Or maybe not." Percy muttered, clearly annoyed at Ryker's reaction.

"I don't see him." Piper admitted, still searching the chamber. "Maybe he will show up only if we grab the Oracle?"

"How are we going to move it?" Annabeth asked. "It's too big to carry."

"The Oracle is a spirit." Nico reminded them. "If we break the jar it should return to its host."

"Simple." Ryker said, striding confidently across the cavern.

"Ryker, wait!" Hazel cried, clearly expecting a trap like the rest of them.

But the wild demigod made it to the jar with zero trouble. He circled the jar once, his eyes narrowed. "Whatever is in here is alive." He called, turning back to them.

Piper was very certain that getting the Oracle could not be this _easy._ But Ryker was now examining the jar, drawing back his fist to evidently break it. The instant that his hand impacted the jar several things happened at once. The first was that the jar shattered into a million pieces with far more force than it should have. The second was that Ryker was blown off his feet and thrown to the opposite side of the cavern, tumbling head over heel until he came to a stop lying on his back. The third was that a terrible laugh filled the chamber. The fourth was possibly the worst. The stone carving that Piper had initially thought was simply the depiction of a far-too-large dragon begin to move. She stood transfixed as stone and dirt began to fall off what surely was Python as he finally moved from where he had been clearly watching them in silence. The dragon was _massive._ Several times larger than even the biggest one in the last chamber. On top of that, where the other dragons' hides had been one uniform color, Python seemed to be a blend of every color they had been. Swirling hues of red, blue, brown, green, and white played across his hide in a terrible display of beauty. Python was gorgeous in the same deadly way that a venomous snake was. _Come to steal my prize little demigods?_ Piper took an involuntary step back and braced herself. Python's voice wasn't physical, it seemed to be projected directly into their minds.

"Did you guys…?" Percy asked, his eyes riveted on Python.

"Yeah." Nico said, his voice as dark as his eyes.

"That's a big dragon." Will noted, his bow drawn and sighted at Python.

Piper's eyes had been transfixed on the dragon, but she saw that was not the case for everyone. Annabeth's eyes were on the place that the jar had been before Ryker had broken it. "No way." She said, disbelief running through her voice with a slight tremor.

Piper forced herself to drag her eyes away from Python and examined what it was that Annabeth was so caught up by. She quickly found it. Lying in the wreckage of the jar was a young woman who Piper immediately found herself drawn to. "Percy…" Annabeth whispered, her eyes huge.

Percy glanced over and then did a double-take, his mouth dropping open in a way that was almost comical. "She died." He said, unable to process what he was seeing.

"Who is she?" Piper asked. The chamber shook as Python took a step away from the wall. They immediately turned their attention back to the dragon, but everyone continually looked back to where the girl laid.

Python seemed to notice their looks and let loose another terrible laugh that bounced around in Piper's mind. _Aah yes, I forgot, you would have known her._ Python reached one massive clawed forearm over and placed one talon right above the girl. _Such a pity. At least you got to see her before you died. That was a small mercy on my part, was it not?_

"We have to save her." Percy said through gritted teeth. "We _have_ to."

"Her life force is incredibly weak." Nico said, his eyes narrowed. "Something must have brought her back. She doesn't have that much time left."

"Can you shadow-travel her out of here?" Percy demanded.

Nico nodded, but his mouth was twisted into a frown. "I won't be able to come back though." He told them. "Like you said, the first time was luck. When I leave it will have to be with everyone. Anyone who doesn't go with me will be left behind."

 _Trying to escape already?_ Python asked, a low chuckle in his words. _Foolish little demigods, so long as I live you cannot escape._

"Guess we will have to do something about that." Percy roared. "We're taking her back with us!"

 _Good luck!_ Python offered as Percy charged him.

"PERCY! WAIT!" Annabeth screamed, but it was too late. Piper watched with horror as a massive flame seemed to travel up from Python's chest and make its way to his throat. Piper had seen Percy's water shield in the other chamber, but he had no such protection then. The flames poured out of Python's maw and Percy was engulfed. Annabeth gave a horrified scream and charged forward, all thoughts of strategy having deserted her.

 _And so died the son of Poseidon._ Python said with a satisfied growl.

The flames flickered away and Piper's heart restarted itself when Percy still stood tall. A shimmering blue aura that shimmered like water surrounded him. Percy seemed as surprised as Python was, hesitating a moment before charging forward again. "Is that the blessing of Poseidon?" Will asked in a voice hushed with awe. "I've never seen it before."

"I guess the gods are on our side after all." Nico said triumphantly. "At least one is."

"That fire was too close." Piper said. "We have to get Python away from her."

"We need a distraction." Hazel agreed. She turned around, searching for Ryker.

Piper's head swiveled around and she saw Ryker slowly picking himself up off the ground, blood streaming from a dozen different wounds on his body. "Ryker! Are you alright?" Piper called urgently. "We need your help!"

"That… hurt…" He called back weakly. "Give me… a second."

"He isn't going to be much help." Hazel told her. "That jar _was_ the trap."

Percy and Annabeth were fighting Python as best they could, but it looked to Piper like their weapons were bouncing off the dragon's tough hide. Python seemed more amused by their attacks than pained. _Stupid little mortals._ Python sighed, swiping at Annabeth with a half-hearted effort. _It took a god to kill me last time. You are nothing more than a nuisance, and an insignificant one at that._

"Shut up!" Percy roared, cutting at Python's exposed side with Riptide. Piper was horrified to see that even with the added blessing of Poseidon the sword did nothing more than bounce off.

Hazel summoned up a storm of gemstones but like Percy's sword, they were ineffective. Piper did the only thing she could, she charged forward and began to speak. "You want to let us have the Oracle." She intoned, charmspeak ringing through every syllable. "You have grown weary of guarding her."

 _Charmspeak._ Python laughed. _My apologies, but such a weak attempt will not work on me._

Nevertheless, Piper kept up the effort even as she cut, stabbed, and slashed at the dragon. Nico was right beside her, but his stygian iron sword was no more effective. Will's arrows struck at Python's eyes with pinpoint accuracy but the dragon simply blinked them away. _It isn't exactly hard to hit them._ Piper said with grim amusement. _His eyes are the size of a beach ball!_

She leapt away as a claw attempted to crush her, the force of the impact on the floor causing her to stagger. Python laughed again, but cut himself short. _I think I have entertained you for long enough._ The dragon admitted, its chest glowing white now. _Goodbye little heroes._

The white light traveled up his mouth and Piper was suddenly terrified as streaks of electricity began to spark from Python's mouth. When the dragon opened his mouth, obviously intending on electrocuting them to death, Piper felt the cold grip of fear wrap around her heart. She didn't want to die there. Not when she had so many more things she wanted to do. She wanted to with Jason more, she wanted to grow old with him. Just when Python seemed about to destroy them a shaft of blinding white light struck the dragon in the chest, knocking the beast onto its side. Piper and the others fell to their knees as the cavern shook from the massive weight dropping. They cast confused glances around and turned to search for where the arrow had come from. Piper had expected Ryker to have somehow fired the arrow, he had the bow of Artemis after all, but she knew at once that it wasn't Ryker who had fired the arrow. It was Artemis herself.

The goddess stood calmly on the cavern floor, her bow still held up after firing the arrow. Piper's heart sang in joy and she grinned at the others even as they grinned back at her. "Glad you could join us, my lady." Annabeth shouted happily.

"I'm afraid I cannot stay." Artemis said, instantly disappointing everyone in the chamber at once. "I am required elsewhere as my hunters attempt to track down Orion. I simply came to claim a certain debt."

She turned slowly back on Ryker, who had somehow managed to get back to his knees, and stared down at him. "Your life belongs to me now." She told him calmly before disappearing.

Python had been momentarily stunned by the goddess's attack but recovered quickly enough with a savage roar. _I'll burn the flesh from your bones!_ He promised. He opened his maw, fire flickering, and bathed the chamber in white hot fire. Piper raised her hands to protect herself in a vain attempt, but the flames did not touch her. She opened her eyes and blinked in surprise when she saw Percy's blue aura pushing back the flames. "You're fireproof!" She shouted to him.

"Not lightning-proof though." He called back grimly, his forehead shining with sweat.

Python drew himself up to his full height, and raised a claw to swipe at them in long sweep. This time it was Nico who protected them. He summoned up a massive amount of bones that formed into some sort of barrier and managed to stop the claws. Python's chest had been broken open by Artemis's arrow and golden ichor flowed onto the ground. "Aim for his chest!" Annabeth told them. "Let's go!"

And their counterattack to save the all too familiar girl and the Oracle began.


	29. End and Hunt

Artemis's appearance, and consequent disappearance, proved to be the turning point in their battle against Python. Hazel continually sent gemstones crashing into his broken chest and Will accompanied them with a volley of arrows. Nico, Percy, Annabeth, and Piper weaved and ducked as Python continually tried to crush them. Every time that his wound was within sword reach one of them would be their cutting and stabbing away with abandon. It was a strange thing for Ryker. He was not accustomed to watch people fighting his battles for him. He was almost certain that he did not appreciate it at all. _Not much I can do though._ He lamented, staring down at his chest, legs, and arms. Shrapnel from the jar had cut him to pieces and the subsequent force of the explosion had done a significant amount of damage as well. Getting to one knee was already pushing his limits, and fighting would simply be suicide. He needed more of whatever it was that Will had force-fed him. Unfortunately the son of Apollo was occupied with Python.

He glanced back over to where the jar had shattered and frowned at the figure of the prone girl. She was still alive, Ryker was certain of that, but in her current place there was a good chance that Python could inadvertently crush her. Gritting his teeth and groaning in agony, Ryker pushed to his feet and began to stumble over to her. He used the wall of the cavern as a crutch, his breathing already hard. He wasn't certain but he thought that perhaps a shard of the jar had embedded itself in his lungs, which would have made since as each breath felt like someone was shooting him in the chest with an arrow. Thankfully Python was too distracted by the others to notice a demigod he undoubtedly thought was not going to be any use in the fight. _Well, he's not wrong._ Ryker had to admit, pausing to catch his breath.

It took time to get to the girl, but he made it there with no issues from Python. In fact the massive dragon seemed to be losing the fight. His already broken chest was now pouring golden ichor and the dragon's movements had begun to grow sluggish. Ryker pushed off the wall and stumbled his way over to the girl. Ryker took a moment to examine her for any sign of injuries before moving her. She was pale, not quite Nico pale but still very white, and she was clearly starving. Ryker grabbed her hands, stifling a groan, and heaved her over his shoulder before retreating back along the side of the cavern to the massive doors that had led to Python. When he dumped the girl onto the ground, unintentionally, she moaned and mumbled something that Ryker construed as nonsense. He turned his attention back to the others and immediately narrowed his eyes. Python had been backed up to the other side of the chamber and the others were advancing on him warily, Hazel and Will still launching projectiles at him with abandon. Python roared, the sound shaking the chamber, and a white light began to build up in his chest. _I may not be able to burn you, but none of you can withstand my lightning._ Python promised, opening his maw to release the electrical breath.

Ryker saw the others begin to retreat, but he knew that they would not be able to make it far enough away. He glanced down at his hand and sighed, shaking his head. He got back to his feet from where he had fallen after dumping the girl onto the ground and extended the hand that Artemis's bow was residing in. The familiar white-energy bow appeared and he reached forward, drawing back the string and sighting in on Python's chest. The dragon seemed to notice the bow and changed the target of his attack from the retreating demigods to the one wielding the goddess's bow. _Die!_ Python roared, releasing the lightning from his body.

Knowing that using Artemis's bow in his current state would surely bring about some terrible whiplash, Ryker sighed and released the arrow. The shaft of white light flew true, cutting through the lighting and breaking through the Python's already injured chest. Python let loose a terrible wail and fell back. There was no impact as the massive dragon crumbled away to nothing before he could hit the ground.

The others turned to face Ryker just as Artemis's bow disappeared. He held his breath, mentally steeling himself as much as he could before the inevitable agony that came from using Artemis's bow attacked him. He waited like that for several seconds, frowning slightly. "Nice shot." Will called.

"Easy target." Ryker called back, staring down at his hand. "Nine shots left." He muttered, mystified as to why using the bow had not brought about any repercussions. Perhaps Artemis could shed some light on the subject next time he saw her. She seemed to have taken some manner of interest in him, though what she had meant when she told him that his life now belonged to her was beyond him. His life belonged to _him_ and no one else.

"Is that…?" Percy glanced around to the others, his eyes wild and confused. "But… I saw her die… She was in Elysium."

"I know." Nico said, his brow furrowed in confusion. "I saw her there, several times."

Ryker glanced back at the girl and raised an eyebrow. "You know the Oracle?"

"She was never an Oracle." Annabeth said in a low voice as they approached the girl. Ryker sidestepped and let them pass. "She's a daughter of Aphrodite… Her name is Silena Beauregard. She died a few years ago when Kronos tried to overthrow Olympus."

"Apparently not." Ryker commented, staring down at her pointedly. Now that he had a moment to examine her properly he had to admit that she looked like one would expect someone who was just resurrected to look.

Nico shook his head. "She was definitely dead." He said confidently. "I saw her spirit."

Will pushed past them, digging in his bag. Ryker watched with mild interest as the golden haired boy began to tend to the wounded girl. Will produced various bags, vials, and flasks. His hands were a blur as he went about his ministrations. Ryker turned away, staring back at where Python had fallen. "The debt is settled." He said quietly.

A sudden gasp and coughing fit brought Ryker's attention back to the girl and he saw her blinking rapidly in confusion. "Wh-what's going on?" She asked, attempting to sit up.

Will pushed her back down with a firm hand. "Rest." He ordered her, producing a square of ambrosia. "Silena, can you tell me what happened to you?"

"I don't know." She said, slowly eating the ambrosia as Will fed it to her. Ryker scowled at the gentle way she was fed whereas he had been all but suffocated. "I was in Elysium with Charlie…" Her eyes suddenly filled with tears and she clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Is Charlie alive now too?" Percy asked. "How _are_ you alive?"

"I don't know. Charlie and I were in Elysium together… we had been talking about going for reincarnation… Then all of a sudden the ground beneath me opened up and I got pulled under. I don't know what happened to Charlie. Oh gods, what if he's hurt?!"

"Kind of hard to hurt something that's already dead." Ryker observed. Piper shot him a glare and he frowned. "What? It's true."

"After you got dragged down the hole, what happened then?" Annabeth pressed. "Do you remember anything?"

"I-it was dark." Silena admitted. "I didn't see anything. I felt cold and then hot over and over again for a while. Then there was a bright white light that got shoved into whatever it was that I was in."

"The Oracle." Will nodded. "Go on."

"I was in there for so long." Silena said, tears now streaming from her eyes. "I was so scared and cold and hungry. Then I felt air around me and I fell down. That's everything I remember."

"The last bit was probably when Ryker broke the jar." Hazel offered, glancing over to him. "You are bleeding." She observed.

"I am." Ryker said dismissively. "Focus on her, she's in worse shape."

Will tossed a vial of nectar over his shoulder at Ryker. "Drink." He ordered, not bothering to glance back. "You have shrapnel embedded in your body. I'll probably have to pull some of it out when we get back to camp."

"I'm not going back." Ryker told them. They frowned at him and when Nico opened his mouth Ryker held up a forestalling hand. "My debt to you is paid. Python would have killed you with that last attack, you know that. Our time together is over. I'm returning to my forest."

"But…" Piper's voice trailed off.

"There's nothing you can say Piper." Nico said softly. "The code of the wild is very specific. His debt to us is settled. We can't force him to go back with us."

Ryker nodded his thanks. "If you wouldn't mind, could you drop me off back on the surface?" He asked.

Nico nodded. He glanced at Hazel and offered his sister his hand. "Everyone grab hands." He commanded. "Let's get out of here."

They did as the son of Hades asked and Ryker felt himself dissolve into shadows. He had been holding hands with Percy and Annabeth, but as they traveled he felt himself be wrenched away from them. He staggered backwards, stepping out of the shadow of a tree and nearly tripping over a young girl clad in silver. The nectar had returned a good amount of Ryker's strength and reflexes. He caught his balance and immediately began to back up when he noticed the telltale wardrobe of a Hunter of Artemis. Sure enough several dozen other girls all dressed the exact same way, bows held at the ready but not drawn, stepped out of the trees and shot him wary looks. "Not again." Ryker groaned, summoning his claws. He sighed and then steeled himself, his mouth curling up into a snarl. "I'm not going back, so you better be ready to kill me." He warned, leaning forward into a ready stance.

The girl who he had nearly tripped over pulled out a silver hunting knife and brandished it wildly as she made a hasty retreat. A familiar face stepped forward and Ryker was not at all pleased to recognize Thalia Grace. "It's been a while." She greeted him. Ryker's instincts told him something was amiss, she had no weapons drawn, but he nodded back.

"Not long enough." He said darkly. "What do you want with me? Where are the others?"

"I imagine that they are back at Camp Jupiter." Thalia offered. "A few of us are daughter of Hecate, the-."

"The god of magic, yeah." Ryker scowled. "Which still doesn't answer what you want with me."

"Those of us who are part of the Hunt must stick together." Thalia told him. There was no antagonism in her voice, only simple fact and certainty.

"Hunt with someone else." Ryker told her. "And tell Artemis to leave me be. I want no part with her, you, or anything else that the gods have going on now. I did what I was asked, nothing more. Nothing less."

"And yet," One girl stepped forward, throwing back her hood. Ryker's eyebrow raised fractionally when he recognized Artemis. "Not everything that you need accomplish has been asked of you. Not yet."

"What do you want Artemis?" Ryker sighed.

"As I told you in Python's chamber," She sent him a long, searching look. "Your life belongs to me. Ryker, I am giving you an honor that only one other male has ever had the privilege of. You will be joining the hunt."

"Not interested." Ryker said, turning around.

"You can't run Ryker." She told him sternly. "Not this time. When I told you that your life belonged to me I brought you into the hunt. Your life is now bound to me and mine."

Ryker closed his eyes, resolving himself to yet another cruel twist of fate. "Fine." He said through gritted teeth. "I'll hunt with you. What are we after?"

Artemis's smile was colder than ice. "Orion."


	30. Heal and Join

After Artemis spoke with Ryker she abruptly dismissed herself, calling Thalia over to discuss something that Ryker didn't bother listening to. One of the girls stepped forward, her expression decidedly guarded, and beckoned for Ryker. "Those wounds need to be looked at." She said dully.

"I'm fine." Ryker glared at her.

"All the same," The girl sighed, glancing around in an effort to find someone to assist her. "We look after our own. There's some sort of shrapnel in your chest. It needs to come out or you could have difficulties breathing later on."

"I don't know why Artemis brought him along." Ryker's ears twitched as he heard the words. They had been spoken just loudly enough for him to be certain that he was intended to hear them. "He's a _boy_. We all know what happened last time a _boy_ was brought into the hunt. Why should he be any different?"

Ryker cast his eyes around, searching for the source of the voice. It didn't take him long. She wasn't exactly trying to hide her distrust in him like the others were. She openly stared at him, her face pulled into a scowl. "I might not know the whole story," Ryker called, his voice carrying easily through the forest around them. "But if memory serves Orion liked you guys before he hated you. I don't like you."

Every hunter paused in what they were doing and looked at him with such a medley of expressions that Ryker nearly smiled. Disgust. Fear. Mistrust. Curiosity. Confusion. Hatred. Amusement. The girl who had spoken against him glared at him before storming off into one of their tents, disappearing inside and not returning. "If you wouldn't mind," The girl who was tending to his wounds said as she examined his chest, "Could you keep your antagonism to a minimum? Having you join us is cause for enough stress in of itself."

"It's not as if I particularly _wanted_ to join you." Ryker reminded her. He let out a slight gasp when she applied a small amount of pressure to his chest. "That hurt." He admitted grudgingly.

"You have a shard in between your fourth and fifth rib." She said. She glanced back to a tent and sighed. "Come on. I'm going to need to have you lie down to get it out, and you'll need to rest afterwards." She straightened and turned away, not bothering to look behind her to see if he was following. Ryker was certain that she couldn't care less if he followed or not, which made him much more inclined to follow her. He felt every eye on him the second he stepped into the tent and scowled. His doctor was pulling on a pair of what looked like silver gloves made out of a very thin material. She nodded to a bed and turned back to grab something out of a drawer. Ryker sat down warily on the bed and, with eyes still watching him, sent a glare around to every hunter in the tent. He didn't truly care about being embarrassed, he had actually never given it a second thought, but he imagined what he was currently feeling was most like embarrassment. "Lay down." She said again, turning back to him with a large silver knife in one hand and a pair of pliers in the other.

Ryker did the exact opposite. He leapt up like a cat, knocking over the bed in the process, and began to back away rapidly. She sighed and shrugged. "Fine. Die." She shrugged again. "It will save us a lot of trouble."

"Something wrong?" Thalia asked cheerfully, ducking as she entered the tent. She surveyed the slight mess Ryker had made and tilted her head to one side. "What happened?"

"He's being difficult." The medic said simply.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Jude, listen, I know you might not like him-."

"I don't."

"But Lady Artemis has already spoken to us on this. Whether you like it or not, he's one of the Hunt now." Thalia glanced at Ryker and winked. Ryker scowled instantly in response. "You don't have to worry about him. He's not Orion."

"He's a boy." Jude answered back simply. She still had the knife in one hand and pliers in the other, swinging them back and forth at her side. "They're all the same."

"I wouldn't say that's true." Thalia mused. "But for now, would you mind just patching him up? I want to get some rest tonight and Artemis and I need to speak to him before I do."

"I was going to treat him regardless." Jude told her. "He's the one who freaked out."

"You came at me with a knife." Ryker glared at her.

"Your wound has somewhat closed." She answered back in a neutral tone. "You were probably given nectar as a safeguard to keep you from bleeding out. It worked, but your wounds healed over slightly. I need to reopen the wound enough for me to get the shrapnel out. Since I am already going to work on you, I'm going to get the shards out of your legs too."

"See?" Thalia said brightly. "We _can_ get along. If we try. Really, _really,_ hard."

"Are you going to come lay down?" Jude asked, one hand on her hip. "If you aren't I'm going to sleep. Pick."

Ryker sent a withering look to Thalia who in turn gestured towards the bed. Snarling, Ryker turned on the others in the tent and growled, "Find something more interesting to look at." The audience they had inadvertently accumulated dispersed immediately and Ryker scowled.

He slowly picked the bed back up and laid down. "Come see me when you are finished." Thalia told him, striding out of the tent.

"This is going to hurt." Jude told him, holding the knife above the spot on his chest where the pain was emanating from. "A lot. Try not to scream too much, people are trying to sleep after all." And so saying, she began to cut into his chest. She was right. It did hurt.

When she had finally finished the sun had made its way across the sky, leaving only a few hours of daylight left. Jude had told him that he should rest but did not try to enforce her recommendation, simply watching him when he exited the tent. Ryker's legs, chest, and arms were a ball of agony. She had been extremely thorough, removing every piece of the jar from his body, but she had not made any attempts to be lenient on the knife. In fact Ryker was almost certain that she had gained some sadistic pleasure from the ordeal. The other girls certainly had, giggling every time he bit back a groan of pain. Jude had bandaged up the areas she had worked on with expert precision which gave Ryker some ease of movement. When he stepped out of the tent the Hunters that were outside immediately went silent, watching him as he made his way to the grand structure he could only assume was Thalia's tent.

As he stepped inside he realized that he had chosen correctly. Artemis, in the form he had first met her in, was lounging on a couch with her feet up. Thalia was nowhere to be seen. "Aah, Ryker." Artemis greeted him with a nod. "I trust that you were well taken care of by our Jude? She is a daughter of Aceso after all. She has a better grasp on the healing process than most."

"You have…" Ryker's voice tremored as he fought to keep his temper in check. "Ten seconds to tell me why you brought me into this hell." Pain from being worked on combined with confusion as to his current situation did not make good bedfellows and Ryker's anger was white hot under his skin.

Artemis studied him for ten seconds, Ryker counted them, and on the eleventh second she sighed. "Suffice to say that your mother asked me to." Artemis told him. "You have gained quite the interest from the gods. This was a way for us to keep a close eye on you."

"So instead of sending me to one of the camps you chose to instead drag me along with a group of hunters who want nothing more than to see me die?" Ryker asked incredulously. "Who came up with that brilliant idea?"

"Your mother." Artemis told him. "I wouldn't say that my Hunters want you to die… They might not particularly want you around but I doubt they seek your death."

"My mother did this?" Ryker asked furiously. Of course she did. Meddling seemed to be the norm for the gods. "Look, if you want to hunt Orion fine. I'll help. But-."

"If you are going to suggest that I let you hunt him on your own you should save your breath." Artemis overrode him, leaning her head on one arm. "As I said, you are under close inspection. No one, not even your mother, is certain as to what your role is in the coming days. You are unpredictable. Uncertainty among the gods is less than desirable. On top of that your attitude towards us does not inspire very much trust in you. There are some among us who think that you may be our downfall. Your mother asked me to bring you into the Hunt because of that. She does not want to see your death."

Ryker processed her words. "If I'm going to hunt with you," He said finally, "Then I am going to need a bow. I… I don't think it's safe for me to use my claws."

Artemis nodded. "Do you prefer to make your own or would you rather one like my hunters?"

"I'll make my own." Ryker snorted in derision. "The bows your hunters have are too small for my taste."

"Aah yes," Artemis nodded. "If I remember correctly you prefer a longbow."

Ryker nodded. "And don't expect any sense of camaraderie from me towards your hunters." He warned.

"You are one of my hunters now." Artemis reminded him, an amused smile on her lips. "But I can understand what you meant. We will see. Bonds formed by the hunt tend to take root faster than others. Particularly since you are all bound to me you share a common theme. My blessing connects all of those who bear it. No hunter will ever fight alone so long as their sisters, erm, siblings are alive."

"I fight alone." Ryker told her simply.

Artemis sighed and rolled her eyes. "I can see that you are going to be ever the argumentative one, aren't you?" She shrugged. "Your mother said as much. Apparently you take after her a bit too much."

 **Hello my readers, Hallowed here. Bit of a hectic chapter this time, so my apologies for that. It's also a bit shorter than I had intended, but I really wanted to get back to Camp Jupiter and begin writing about what is going on there. As always, thank you so much for reading. It means the world to me.**

 **Cheers, Hallowed**


	31. Return

When the group of demigods materialized at Camp Jupiter, appearing out of the shadow of a bannister, they immediately noticed their missing companion. Percy and Annabeth, who had been holding hands with Ryker, looked to each other in confusion and released their now joined hands. A piece of paper which had been placed in between their hands fell to the ground and Annabeth quickly scooped it up off the ground. Percy saw her eyebrows shoot up and immediately went to read it as well when Annabeth handed it to him. _I.O.U one demigod. Hope all is well. –Hunters of Artemis_

Percy handed the note to Nico and they each took turns reading the note, all of their eyes filling with surprise with the exception of Will who scowled before returning his attention to Silena. "They better take that shard out of his chest." He grumbled, clearly unhappy to have his patient taken from him with no warning. "Otherwise it could work through his ribs and puncture a lung."

"Why would the Hunters take him?" Hazel wondered, handing the note back to Annabeth.

"Artemis did claim his life as her own." Piper mused, "But I'm sure we will find out soon enough."

"You're back!" A very familiar Praetor's voice called, relief in every letter. Frank ran over to them, literally sprinted to Percy's amusement, and wrapped Hazel in an embrace. He then stepped back and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, it's just _really_ good to see you. Things have been… crazy. By the way, who's that?" Frank asked, staring down at Silena.

"A very old friend." Percy told him, glancing around pointedly. His message was clear: _not here._ Their arrival had begun to draw attention of the Romans and they had already accumulated a small crowd. "Who needs medical attention. _Private_ medical attention." He looked meaningfully at Frank and the Praetor immediately understood.

"Alright everyone, clear out." Frank commanded, authority ringing in his words. "They just got back, plenty of time to gawk at them later. Make way."

Will assisted Silena in getting to her feet, her arm around his shoulders as he assisted her in walking. Nico placed her other arm over his shoulders and together they half-carried, half-dragged Silena out of the public's eyes and into the medical tent. Percy followed them inside, closing the tent flap after everyone had filed in. "So who is this?" Frank asked again, crossing his arms.

"Where is Jason at?" Annabeth questioned back. "Everyone should be here for this. Reyna too."

Frank's face became drawn and tense. "Jason is at Camp Half-Blood. Reyna… Reyna disappeared two nights ago."

"Two nights?" Percy echoed, shocked. He then frowned and considered something. "We've only been gone two nights…"

"You've been gone for a week." Frank said slowly, one eyebrow raising.

The demigods exchanged bewildered glances. "But… no we haven't." Piper insisted.

Frank pulled out a cellphone and handed it to her. Percy did not even have to see the phone to read Piper's reaction perfectly. "How?" Hazel asked simply.

"The chamber." Nico said, gnawing his lip and glaring at the ground. "The chamber must have had some sort of spell on it that influenced the rate at which time passes in there versus the outside world. It explains why Ryker looked so beat up when we got to him. The chamber must have been able to both increase and decrease time passage."

"So Ryker could have been fighting those dragons for who knows how long before we got there?" Percy asked, slight awe in his voice.

"Dragons?" Frank demanded. "What dragons? I thought that you were fighting one dragon. And speaking of Ryker, where is he?"

Annabeth handed Frank the note rather than explaining Ryker's disappearance. "Python was guarded by a chamber filled with dragons. There was a set of doors that led to them and they locked when he went through. Long story short we got to him and kicked dragon butt. Then we got to Python and-." While Annabeth continued to recount to Frank the tale of how they fought and defeated Python Percy turned his attention back to Silena.

She had already regained some color and was talking quietly with Will. "I feel fine, I swear on the River Styx." She protested as Will forced her to eat more ambrosia.

"Be that as it may, I can still sense some weakness in you." Will told her firmly. "Now eat Ms. Oracle."

"Ms. Oracle?" Silena asked in confusion even as she ate. "What does that mean?"

"It means that the Oracle of Delphi is using you as her host." Rachel said as she strode into the tent. She immediately fixed a stare on Silena and examined her for a long moment. "I can sense the Spirit in you."

"Well I don't want it!" Silena cried. "I don't even know what's going on!"

"Join the club." Nico said darkly. After assisting Silena into the camp he had retreated into the shadows and Percy had forgotten about him temporarily. The son of Hades had a severely contemplative expression on his face almost bordering a snarl. "Silena shouldn't even be alive. Elysium is one of the most heavily watched places in the Underworld. Someone shouldn't have been able to get her out, but here she is. Whatever it was that took her has to be powerful. Really powerful."

"Any ideas?" Percy asked hopefully. "Any gods that are upset with your father?"

"Plenty." Nico said with hard eyes. "But none of them are strong enough, or brave enough, to pull this off. Zeus hates people being brought back to life. Hates it. The only reason that I wasn't blasted into smithereens for bringing Hazel back was because the gods' personalities were fighting with each other."

"Do you think that the gods know about this?" Frank asked. "I mean, they should, right?"

"Not much happens in the Underworld without my father knowing." Nico said cautiously. "But that doesn't mean they know exactly what's going on or what's doing it. I'll have to ask him myself to find that out."

"Which means that you are going into the Underworld, right?" Hazel asked worriedly. Percy could understand her concern. He always worried about Tyson whenever his brother was doing something dangerous. "Do you have to?"

"I wish I didn't." Nico admitted. He sighed and then assumed the customary frown that Percy had seen him wear for most of the time that he had known him. "But that doesn't mean I can't go. If my father doesn't know what's going on… that's really bad."

"When are you going to leave?" Will asked grimly, looking up from Silena.

"Now." Nico said, disappearing into the shadows without another word. It always struck Percy as eerily fascinating whenever Nico appeared or disappeared in a shadow. He blended in so well with them that Percy had often wondered if he had actually been there at all. In a sense, Nico _was_ a shadow.

"I really hate when he does that." Will muttered. "He really needs to work on his goodbyes."

"You said Reyna was taken?" Annabeth asked grimly, bringing attention back to the matter at hand.

"That's right." Frank answered just as grimly. "I saw her that night too. We had been discussing new defensive tactics in light of the abductions. It was like ten before I left. The next morning I went to speak to her again but she was gone."

"Was there any signs of a struggle?" Annabeth's eyes were unfocused as she considered this new development.

Frank shook his head. "No. There was nothing. I thought she might have stepped out to do her rounds, but no one had seen her. It's like she just disappeared. No one saw anything strange that night either, certainly nothing that resembled Orion."

"Which means that we're not safe anywhere." Hazel glanced around her warily as though she expected Orion to appear out of thin air and abduct one of them.

"What about Terminus?" Piper offered. "He's a god. If we can hide within his boundaries I doubt anyone would be able to get past him."

"It's a good idea." Percy agreed, warming to the thought. "Besides, Terminus is a god. If we catch Orion we can use him to kill Orion and end this."

"There's only one problem with that." Annabeth injected. "Terminus can only protect a certain area. We have too many people in the Roman camp alone to fit in there."

Piper seemed somewhat deflated at her idea having been shot down. "Oh yeah," He said despondently, staring down at the ground.

"Well," Rachel said heavily, still staring at Silena. "I guess first things first."

"What do you mean?" Silena asked hopefully. "Are you going to take the Oracle back?"

"If I would I could." Rachel told her. "But I can't. Only Apollo can do that, and he hasn't been heard from in a long time. No, first things first is that we need you to finish a prophecy."

"I don't know how." Silena said confusedly, sitting up as Will stepped back.

"It takes a while, but when I was Oracle I figured out a trick to sort of draw out prophecies." Rachel admitted. "Come back to my house with me, I'll help you out."

"What about the rest of us?" Percy asked. He absentmindedly wondered what trick Rachel had come up with. "What should we do?"

"Actually," Frank stepped forward. "About that, I need to speak to all of you."

"What's up?" Hazel asked interestedly.

"We only have one Praetor now." Frank said as Silena was led by Rachel out of the tent. "Because of the disappearances the Senate has already begun to ask about Reyna's replacement even if it's only temporary."

"But Reyna isn't dead she is just missing." Percy protested.

"I know, I know." Frank said tiredly, raising his hands in defense. "That's why I said 'temporary'. The Senate wants me to make a recommendation for the temporary Praetor."

"Okay…" Annabeth said slowly, glancing at Percy. "So who did you have in mind?"

Percy saw the look and distinctly hoped that Frank was not about to recommend him for Praetor _again_. It had been kinda fun last time but Percy had no desire to become a Praetor again. Thankfully Frank was quick to dispel the thought. "I was thinking Annabeth." He admitted, looking at the daughter of Athena.

Annabeth seemed caught off guard by the statement. "Me?" She repeated. "Why? I'm not a Roman."

"No, but you are the best at strategy." Frank told her. "Right now we need someone like you. Someone who can unite both the Greeks and Romans in case we need to throw down with some big bad monster."

It was at times like this that Percy truly understood one of the other aspects of Mars' personality. Strategy. Frank knew that with whatever it was that Orion was doing, it would most likely turn into a battle at some point. Annabeth was a brilliant strategist and she was well liked by both camps. As long as it was temporary Percy doubted that the Romans would mind a Greek being Praetor, particularly since the position had been vacated after the last Praetor was abducted. "I think it's a good idea." Percy agreed. Annabeth looked at him warily and he grinned at her. "Come on Wise Girl, you are a great leader."

"Fine." Annabeth looked back to Frank and nodded. "I'll do it."

"Alright, come on." Frank pulled the tent flap. "We should go tell the Senate, they will want to know about this as soon as possible."

After Frank and Annabeth left the others as they went to speak the Senate those who were still in the tent lapsed into silence. After a few minutes Piper heaved a great sigh and shook her head. "You know, I still can't figure it out." She said.

"You are going to have to be a little more specific." Will told her. "Unless you figured out a lot more than I have there are a lot of things I can't seem to grasp."

"Why would Orion be grabbing all of these demigods?" Piper clarified. "It doesn't make sense."

"That's sort of the question of the hour." Percy told her.

"No, I mean why _these_ demigods?" Piper said. "I mean, if his goal was to cause trouble with the camps wouldn't it have made more sense to grab the Seven?"

Will was the first one to grasp the significance of the statement. "You think that Orion has a bigger plan than just taking demigods?" He asked.

"I don't know." Piper admitted, sitting down on the bed that Silena had been resting on. "But I feel like when we find out we aren't going to like it."


	32. Method to the Hunt

"Alright ladies, rise and shine!" Thalia called, her voice ringing out in the early morning dawn. Ryker watched her from where he rested high above the ground on a tree branch, one eyebrow raised at her choice of words. He had been awake from the moment that the sun had begun to peek above the horizon and had seen Thalia exit her tent and stretch. The lieutenant cast her gaze around the clearing as girls began to shuffle out of their tents many of them bleary eyed after being awoken. "Has anyone seen Ryker?"

"Maybe he left." One girl said hopefully, searching for the boy.

"I hope not." Artemis said as she strode out of Thalia's tent. "We would have to track him down again, and that would be a terrible waste of time."

"Where is he?" Thalia wondered. "He said he didn't want to have a room in a tent-."

"Thank the gods." Another girl sighed in relief.

"So where is he?" Thalia finished, casting a withering look to the girl who had interrupted her. "He's part of the Hunt now, have some decency."

"Thalia is correct." Artemis told the hunters. "Or would you like to question my judgement?" Her words were neutral but Ryker was certain that he heard a veiled threat in them.

Deciding that he had kept them searching long enough, Ryker leapt off from the branch he had been resting on. He landed lightly on the outskirts of the camp with slightly less noise than a whisper. Artemis seemed to sense his presence and glanced around, nodding at him when she spotted him. "Good morning." She greeted him.

"We'll see." Ryker answered back, remaining on the outskirts of the camp. Already the other Hunters were glaring at him through their sleepy eyes.

"Alright ladies," Thalia clapped her hand together loudly and addressed the rest of the Hunters. "Start packing up. I want to leave in an hour. Ryker! Would you mind if I had a word with you?"

"Yes." He answered immediately.

Thalia rolled her eyes, walked over to him, grabbed him by the arm, and marched him into her tent with Artemis following close behind them. The other hunters gave them a wide berth, eager to stay away from Ryker which pleased him to an extent. Once inside Thalia's tent Ryker was released and Thalia took a seat on her couch. She leaned back and crossed her arms, frowning at him. Artemis leaned against one of the walls that supported the tent, a curious expression on her face. "Look," Thalia began, "I get that you didn't want to join up. Totally understand."

Ryker remained silent, waiting for her to make her point. "But you can't keep staying away from the others." Thalia told him.

"I can actually." Ryker corrected her. "It doesn't seem like it will be that difficult either."

"That's not the point." Thalia rolled her eyes. "My lady, some help please?"

"I believe that what Thalia is trying to say is that you can't remain separated from the others." Artemis clarified for him.

"Again, I can actually." Ryker repeated, smirking.

"To put things more bluntly; I will not allow you to." Artemis told him. "Such a rift will only cause strife among my chosen. Strife that, if left unchecked, could lead to grave consequences. Such as my hunters falling in battle when they otherwise might have been able to survive."

"And you think that me choosing to sleep somewhere besides among your hunters can cause this?" Ryker asked.

"No, I think that the antagonism you insist on creating will be the cause." Artemis countered, her face even and composed. She didn't seem at all like she was scolding him, which was probably for the best, instead she was simply reciting facts as she saw them. "The hunt relies on teamwork and trust in each other. Both of which are in short supply between you and my hunters."

"What would you have me do?" Ryker asked, his expression slowly dissolving into his customary scowl. "Joke with them? Perhaps I could instruct them on the finer points of archery."

"Hey, easy there, that's a goddess you are speaking to." Thalia reminded him, half-rising from the couch.

"I am well aware of who she is." Ryker didn't look away from Artemis, unconcerned with Thalia's outrage.

"I had anticipated that you would be a difficult one to bring into the Hunt," Artemis admitted, "And yet I had not foreseen such a stubborn refusal. I do not think that I have ever met such an obstinate demigod, especially when speaking directly to me."

"Don't try to make me into something I'm not and I won't have to be." Ryker answered back. "I'm not a fan of companionship."

"And yet the wolves seem to have taken quite the liking to you." Artemis said slyly, thoroughly surprising him.

After Artemis had finished speaking with him the night before Ryker had strode out of the tent and nearly stepped on the tail of a wolf as he made his way to the woods. The beast had yelped and snarled at him but after a few moments Ryker had calmed the wolf and had begun to wrestle with her. He had not given it a second thought, it was normal for him to be on good terms with animals of the forest, but apparently Artemis thought that it had more significance. "Animals like me." Ryker said cautiously, certain that he was walking into some sort of trap. "I don't see your point."

"Throughout my years walking this world I have found that animals are often more perceptive than humans understand." Artemis informed him, a smile playing on her lips. "They often can divine a human's true nature within seconds of meeting them. Facades do not affect their judgement, they see right through them. One might say that animals are the best judge of character."

"Your point being?" Ryker asked pointedly, glancing questioningly to Thalia. Unfortunately it seemed as though she was just as clueless as he was.

"My point is that my wolves seem to have taken a liking to you, despite your gender." Artemis told him flatly, "Which tells me that this unapproachable demeanor that you have been demonstrating for everyone is not your true personality."

"Don't read too much into it." Ryker advised her, smirking now. "Just because animals like me doesn't mean anything."

"On the contrary." Artemis studied him intently and seemed to nod at her findings. "I think that it means quite a lot. But for now, we have other things to discuss."

"Hunting Orion." Ryker nodded, eager to move away from the old conversation.

"He's proving to be even harder to find than usual." Thalia said unhappily. "He used to make a point to track us and attack whenever Artemis was away. We thought that we could use that to our advantage, but he hasn't been attacking us at all. On top of that-."

"He can disappear into the earth without a trace." Ryker nodded. "I saw him standing beside an open pit when I found him. I'm guessing that's how he's getting in and out of places without a trace. Probably how he's moving demigods out of the camps too."

"Which means that he has a rather powerful ally assisting him." Artemis mused, "Artemis may have many attributes of a great hunter but his dominion over the earth is no greater than my own. He was created to destroy me after all."

"But who would be helping him?" Thalia wondered. "Gaea was destroyed, she _can't_ have regained her consciousness yet… right?"

"I think that we can assume that Gaea has not yet managed to pull herself together." Artemis nodded, "Which means that some other force is at work here."

"Do you have any idea, my lady?" Thalia asked hopefully. "Perhaps a titan or god has allied with Orion?"

"It is possible." Artemis admitted, though Ryker was sure that he heard uncertainty in her words. "But I do not think probable. Whatever is assisting Orion must be rather powerful. I have a few ideas, of course, but nothing solid."

"So finding Orion is the most direct way to understand what it is that he is doing." Ryker nodded in agreement. "But finding him won't be easy."

"We would need to know where he is going to be before he gets there." Thalia sighed in discontent. "Which is next to impossible. The demigods that he has been abducting have almost nothing in common other than that they have divine parents and they are fairly well known. Some of them have not even had parents that were major gods."

"And as you said, he has been appearing and disappearing without a trace." Artemis added. "If he had been simply slipping into camp and then retreating into the forest my hunters and wolves would be able to track him."

"But he must have some sort of limit to his form of travel." Ryker muttered, his mind working feverishly. "Otherwise he wouldn't have had to move after grabbing Silver."

"What do you mean?" Thalia asked curiously.

"When Orion took Silver she was perched on a branch above me." Ryker explained. "When I found Orion he had made his way to a small clearing. That was where the hole in the ground had appeared. It might be nothing, but I think there might be a limit to where he can use his little escape trick."

Thalia and Artemis seemed to consider this. "It's not much, but it's something." Thalia offered warily. "It might give us a small edge over him."

"Unfortunately we still do not have the means to watch over both camps at once." Artemis observed. "They are both already on high alert and Orion has still been taking demigods with impunity."

Ryker lapsed into silence as he considered this. Unpredictability was usually death to both hunter and prey. Both parties usually followed set patterns. If a prey chose a route other than the one that had allowed them to survive in the past there was a chance that a hunter was there waiting for them. Conversely, a hunter who could not adapt to its prey's tactics was doomed to starve. Choosing a hunting ground that had never been tested before was dangerous at best and deadly at worst.

 _So why is Orion choosing his targets with such disregard for any set pattern?_ Ryker mulled the question over in his mind. When the answer hit him he narrowed his eyes, considering it. After looking at it from every possible angle he came to the conclusion that his answer was the most likely. "Orion isn't the one choosing the targets." He said aloud.

"What do you mean?" Artemis asked.

"Orion is a hunter. Just like us." Ryker said simply.

"Orion is _nothing_ like-." Thalia began fiercely.

Ryker held up a hand forestalling her denial. "Fine. Orion is a hunter just like me." He amended his statement. "I understand him. I don't think that he is the one who is choosing the demigods to be taken. In fact, I bet that he doesn't have a choice in the matter. If it were me, I would be taking demigods that had caused the most trouble for those who opposed the gods. On top of that, he isn't following a set pattern. He's been taken demigods at random, correct? Any predator knows that attacking unknown prey is almost certain death."

"So what are you saying?" Thalia asked, seeking clarification.

"I'm saying that you have been going about this the wrong way." Ryker said simply. "You have been trying to predict Orion's movements. If he isn't the one making decisions that makes all of your plans next to useless."

"So what you are saying is that we should instead focus our efforts on finding out who has been giving orders to Orion?" Artemis seemed to be intrigued by the idea. "It makes sense. I have known Orion for several millennia. He might be a ruthless hunter, but he is far from stupid."

Thalia stared blankly at a spot on the far wall over Ryker's shoulder. "So how do we find out who is giving Orion orders?"

"If someone is giving Orion orders, I am almost certain that they must be powerful." Artemis told them. "Orion does not follow orders out of any sense of loyalty, at least, not since he left the Hunt. He follows them through fear or threat of power. Monster attacks have been growing less and less common as of late. Something is coming, though I do now know what. We need to find out what it is before the dam breaks. If we do not, I fear what may await us."

 **Hello again my readers, I have a query for you. Have any of you guessed who the main antagonist of this story is as of yet? If you have, feel free to message me or leave it in a review. Your musings are of great interest to me. As always, thank you so much for taking an interest in my story. It means the world. Until next time!  
Cheers, Hallowed**


	33. Rescue

"So where are we going?" Ryker asked as the Hunters made the last preparations to leave.

Thalia looked up from checking to make sure that her bag was ready and her shield was correctly strapped to it and answered, "We're going to get a demigod who we have just been made aware of. With so many demigods being taken we want to get as many as we possibly can to a place of relative safety."

"Doesn't seem all that safe to me." Ryker observed, leaning against a tree.

"It's better than being out there all alone without anyone at all to look out for you and monsters trying to kill and eat you." Thalia snapped, standing up and swinging her backpack onto her shoulder. "You might think that is better, but no one else does."

"Whatever you say." Ryker said with deliberate calmness.

"And while I am yelling at you, are you going to remain shirtless or did you plan on changing sometime soon?" Thalia demanded.

Ryker glanced down to his bare chest and ripped up cargo pants and shrugged. "I'm fine like this." He said honestly.

"Be that as it may, it might cause some trouble amongst the humans." Thalia sighed. She turned around and called for one of her hunters. "They seem to take it badly whenever a demigod shows up with signs of battle wear and tear on them."

"I'll get something the next time that we pass by a store or something." Ryker told her, completely unconcerned with what humans thought of him. He was considering hunting down a deer to make another deer hide jerkin when something silver hit him on the chest. He grabbed it reflexively and stared down at it uncomprehendingly. It was made out of some odd material and it took him a moment to realize that it was the same material that the other Hunter's shirts were made out of. He glanced over to Thalia with a raised eyebrow and she gestured for him to put it on. He pulled off his bag and pulled on the shirt, shivering at the material's touch. It reminded him of water for some reason, and it was almost as fluid. He stretched this way and that, testing the limits of the shirt's maneuverability. "Not bad." He admitted.

"Starting to look like a Hunter now." Thalia observed. "Now you just need a bow."

"I'm making my own." Ryker answered back dismissively. "None of yours are up to my…" His eyes widened when one of the Hunters appeared with a massive silver longbow and a quiver full of silver arrows.

"You were saying?" Thalia asked as Ryker moved forward to grab the bow, one hand extended.

When he was a few paces away the girl who had brought the weapon dropped both it and the quiver onto the ground and strode away with her chin raised defiantly at Thalia's disapproving scowl. Ryker snatched up the bow and brushed off the dirt, examining the weapon closely. He tested the draw weight with two fingers and nodded approvingly. He pulled on his backpack and then the quiver so that the arrow's fletching was sticking out over his right shoulder. He slung his bow over his left shoulder and smiled happily. He had missed having a bow, more than he had realized. He had always preferred fighting from a distance rather than being right on his prey. "Thank you." Ryker said grudgingly.

"Don't thank me, Lady Artemis was the one who had it made for you." Thalia told him. "Hephaestus makes a lot of our weapons. She asked him last night and he agreed, although he did make sure that she owed him a favor."

"Guess that I owe _her_ one now." Ryker sighed at the thought.

"Guess so." Thalia said, striding to the center of the camp. "Alright! Everyone ready?"

The Hunters shouted their enthusiasm for their departure and Thalia nodded. "Alright! We're going to find a demigod who might be in trouble. Remember, she doesn't know about the gods or anything like that. Once we find her our job is to get her to Camp Half-Blood. Everyone clear?"

Ryker melted into the forest as the Hunters moved out, keeping just close enough for his keen hearing to make out the sound of the hunter's movement. They moved at a fast pace just as before, and they quickly ate up the miles between them and their destination. Ryker's separation seemed to displease the wolves, and he was quickly joined by the pack. He smiled at them and rolled his eyes when the she-wolf from the night before bit playfully at his hand. He snarled back at her quietly, but she seemed to understand that he was not serious. He lost track of time as he ran, enjoying the simplicity of the forest and the companionship of the wolves. It was not until Thalia called for a halt did Ryker pull himself out of his reverie. He quickly slowed to a walk and then returned to the outskirts of where the Hunters were gathering. Thalia spied him when he emerged from the trees and beckoned him over. Ryker warily moved forward a few more feet and Thalia rolled her eyes at his reluctance. "Alright, up ahead is the town with the demigod." Thalia announced. "We don't know what we are walking into, so I'm only taking one other besides me."

"I'll go." One girl said eagerly, stepping forward.

"Ryker." Thalia announced, surprising all of them. Ryker included. "You ready?"

"You want _me_ to go help you get the demigod out of the town?" He asked incredulously, ignoring the looks of jealousy that the other Hunters were sending him. "Probably not the best idea."

"If I run into Orion, I want the only person who has gone up against him alone and come out alive." Thalia told him, dropping her bag and pulling off her shield. "Besides, it will be good for you to see how getting a demigod needs to be done in case we send you out for any more in the future."

"Fine," Ryker shrugged and set his bag down. He held his bow in his left hand, readying it for any use he might call upon it for. "When do we leave?"

"Now." Thalia said, striding away from the Hunters.

Ryker followed after her, quickly matching her pace as he came alongside her. "So how do we find her?" He asked as they walked.

"Usually it isn't all that hard." Thalia admitted as they came upon a street. She looked up and down the road warily as though she expected to be attacked at any moment. "If we know where a demigod is, it's because monsters have taken an interest in them."

"So we can expect to find monsters here?" Ryker asked hopefully, squeezing his new bow in anticipation. He was very eager to test the limits of a god-forged weapon.

"Probably." Thalia said slowly, hearing the eagerness in his voice. "But our goal is to get the demigod out of here safely. If we run into any monsters we need to get the demigod as far away from them as possible."

"Speaking of monsters, how are we supposed to fight them in broad daylight?" They passed by an old playground that was devoid of all signs of life and Ryker's instincts began to make themselves known. He inhaled deeply through the air, focusing on the scents that mixed together in the small town. Among the typical ones that humans were associated with, soap, sweat, smoke, and a few others, Ryker detected the unmistakable scent of a monster. "Because I can already smell them."

"Really?" Thalia asked worriedly. "Well, that might not be a bad thing. Where monsters are, demigods usually can't be far."

Ryker frowned, considering the scent. It was familiar. Too familiar. He was almost certain that he had encountered this sort of monster before at one point which, when he considered the dragons, was not at all a happy thought. If he was forced to fight out of the forest in the small confines of a small town and _not_ get any of the humans killed he would be hard-pressed. Thalia would undoubtedly be focused on rescuing the demigod which meant that Ryker would be forced to deal with the beast himself. "As for fighting the monsters, don't worry, the Mist will cover us." Thalia assured him. "Right now to the humans we probably look like we are carrying some sort of toy or something rather than our bows."

They rounded the corner and Ryker breathed out an annoyed sigh. He hated when he was proven right. Thalia's sharp intake of breath informed him that she was thinking along the same lines that he was. The monster was indeed familiar to Ryker, he had a fang from one on his necklace after all. The hydra was just as big as the last one he had faced, the beast took up nearly the entire seat as it stalked back and forth in front of a small gray house. "I bet you five drachma that's where the demigod is." Thalia whispered to him.

Ryker nodded in agreement, pulling an arrow from his quiver and sighting at the hydra. "Go get her." He told her, releasing the arrow. The bow was just as good as Ryker hoped it was, the arrow striking the arrow directly in one of its three heads. The beast hissed and turned its attention on Ryker. Thalia looked at him in shock and disapproval and he rolled his eyes. "Did you want to have her fight a hydra?" He asked pointedly, firing another three arrows in rapid succession at the quickly approaching hydra.

"You could have warned me." Thalia told him sternly.

"I'm shooting the hydra." Ryker answered, firing another arrow at the beast.

"Just don't die." She said in a hiss that the hydra would have been proud of.

"No promises." Ryker answered back, dancing backwards as the hydra sent a stream of acid at the place where he had been standing. Thalia disappeared among the houses and Ryker smiled at the hydra fondly. "Well then, looks like it's just you and me."

"Demigod." The hydra hissed in a terribly hard to discern voice. "Food. We shall devour you."

Ryker sent another arrow smacking through the eye of the head that had spoken in response. The hydra roared and the head that he had shot split into two. "Oh yeah," He muttered, "Head shots aren't effective against you."

"Die!" The hydra hissed at him, as three of the heads sent acid flying at him.

Ryker grinned back at the hydra, his eyes filling with a reckless bloodlust as he tossed his bow aside and summoned his claws. "This is going to be so much _fun_." He howled, charging the beast.

Thalia stepped outside with a young girl who couldn't have been more than six years old clinging tightly to her side. Her gaze fell upon the figure of Ryker as he lounged casually against the side of a car, his arms coated in golden ichor. His claws were still on his hands, dripping golden liquid onto the hood of the car. He smiled at Thalia in triumph, his eyes alive with a wicked light. "One less hydra." He noted, pushing off of the car and striding over to the daughter of Zeus. The young girl's eyes widened and she hid behind Thalia as Ryker drew closer. His smile grew wider as he saw the reaction.

"It's alright Cloe." Thalia told her consolingly, frowning pointedly at Ryker's claws. "He's a good guy. He's the one who killed the monster."

Ryker sighed and banished the claws to their wrist band form and crouched down next to the girls' height. "Do I scare you?" He asked conversationally.

She peeked out from behind Thalia's legs and nodded once before disappearing again. "Good." Ryker said happily. "Because if I scare you, just imagine what those monsters must feel like."

She poked her head out again, her hands clutching tightly to Thalia's shirt and looked at Ryker again, studying him. "You aren't a monster?" She whispered.

"No." He smiled at her with no malice this time. "I hunt monsters."

 **Alright my readers, question time yet again. Whose POV would you like to see the next chapter written from? Please, let me know.**

 **Cheers, Hallowed**


	34. Atlas

When the Hunters strode into the clearing they were greeted with a very strange phenomenon: gratitude and relief. The campers kept their distance, but they came to greet the Hunters with hope in their eyes. Ryker found it odd that every single one of them were garbed in their battle wear. "Thalia." Chiron greeted her, trotting up to the lieutenant in his full white stallion form clad in armor. "It is so good to see you."

"Chiron, always a pleasure." She answered back with an uncertain smile. She nodded back to the armed and ready campers with a raised eyebrow. "Expecting trouble?"

"Things have been difficult of late." Chiron admitted tiredly. "Monster attacks have been more and more common. Rarely a day goes by in which we are not attacked or one of our campers are taken. You can understand how welcome a sight an ally is in these times. Camp Jupiter is facing similar difficulties. In addition to that no one has heard from the Amazons in days."

One of the hunters ushered Cloe forward with a small push and a reassuring smile and the little girl's eyes widened when she saw Chiron. "Horsie." She said in awe.

"Centaur." Chiron corrected with a smile. He glanced back to Thalia. "A new camper?"

"Bad timing, I know." She said regretfully. "But monsters were going after her already. We took out a hydra that had been stalking her house. I thought it would be safer here."

"Were it only so." Chiron said sadly. His expression changed and he smiled winningly at Cloe. "Tell me, have you ever seen a unicorn?"

Cloe's eyes widened and she shook her head vigorously. One of the campers stepped forward at Chiron's signal and led the little girl away to where Ryker presumed they kept the horned horses. "Were you planning on resting a while?" Chiron asked hopefully. "I'm sure that the campers would feel a little more confident with warriors such as yourselves to assist them."

Pursing her lips, Thalia turned back to regard her Hunters. "I don't see why not." She said finally. She gave a signal to the hunters and they immediately began to set up their tents on the outskirts of the camp. "I assume that there is something you want to talk about?"

"Could I have a word in private?" Chiron asked her.

"Of course." Thalia nodded and looked back to Ryker. "See if you can do something about the monster population around here."

Ryker grinned and melted away into the forest, leaving no sign that he had ever been there. "I see that you have gained some control over him." Chiron allowed. "Though since you are Artemis' Lieutenant it stands to reason. I must say I was surprised to see the blessing of Artemis upon him, especially considering who it is that has been taking campers and his relationship to the hunt."

"Lady Artemis sees something in him I guess." Thalia shrugged. "He's a great fighter, but he's too separated from anyone to get close. Cloe really took to him though."

Chiron gestured back to the Big House and Thalia followed him to the building. "So whose been taken recently?" She asked heavily.

Chiron hesitated and sighed. "Connor Stoll and Gina Weiland in the past couple days."

"Who else?" Thalia asked, certain that the counsellor was hiding something. A pit of dread had begun to coil in her stomach and Thalia felt her pulse begin to race. "Jason! Is Jason okay?!"

The centaur said nothing until they were safely inside the Big House. Once the other campers had been ushered out and the door had been closed did Chiron then turn to look at Thalia with tired eyes. "Jason is missing, though we are not sure if he was taken or if something else befell him." Chiron sighed and crossed his arms, stomping one hoof in annoyance. "He left for Camp Jupiter three days ago. That was the last that anyone saw of him. He usually sends an Iris message when he arrives at Camp Jupiter, just to let us know there were no issues in his transit. We waited a day before contacting him, but the call did not go through. I doubt the Romans are even aware of his absence."

Thalia felt as though something cold had grabbed hold of her heart and had begun to squeeze. She leaned heavily against the pool table, her eyes on the floor. She had absolute confidence in her brother, he was her brother after all, but in light of the recent abductions she could not help but worry. "Has there been any more sightings of Orion?" She asked finally. "Anything at all?"

"None." Chiron shook his head once. "There have been more abductions, but no one other than Ryker has seen him. He is no longer simply taking demigods however." Chiron's voice was grim.

"Meaning?" Thalia asked slowly.

"Aiden Bishop is dead." The centaur said softly. "An arrow through the heart. Red and black. The same type that Orion has been known to use in the past. We found him the same morning that Gina was missing."

She had met the happy-go-lucky little demigod before. Thalia was saddened, and enraged, at his death. Whenever the hunters had come to Camp Half-Blood to visit the son of Apollo would always make sure that they had everything they needed, even if the other Hunters treated him with cold disdain. "Has his mother been notified yet?" Thalia asked heavily.

"Not yet." Chiron hesitated and then said, "We have not yet had a chance to-."

A scream from outside cut him off, followed by the sound of something crashing into the side of the big house. The walls shook from the force of the impact and dust fell down from the ceiling. Thalia and Chiron exchanged worry-filled looks and were out the door in the next second. A camper was slumped against the side of the cabin, his face hidden against the grass. Thalia wished to go to the camper's side, but her loyalty to her sisters in the hunt was greater. She rushed off towards the sound of the screaming with Chiron close on her tail, his bow drawn and ready. They found the rest of the campers and the Hunters of Artemis standing together in a loose line, their weapons drawn and ready as they faced their foe. Thalia sucked in a quick gasp as she saw the source of their stares.

Brandishing clubs ending in wicked spikes were dozens of Cyclopes, all of them leering hungrily at the demigods. The Cyclopes stood well over ten feet tall, and they were not alone either. At their feet were all manner of smaller creatures including Earthborn, werewolves, empousai, and several other breeds of monsters that Thalia did not care to recognize. Jude noticed Thalia's approach and nodded grimly. "Where did they come from?" Thalia demanded, settling her shield on her arm. "How did we not notice them?"

"The ground opened up and they came through." Jude answered through gritted teeth. "They got a few of us before we could form up."

"I don't suppose that you would be willing to simply surrender?" A man in a lavish suit asked, striding forward with his hands in his pockets and a smile on his face. Thalia's eyes narrowed as she recognized his face.

"Atlas." She sneered at the Titan. "I thought you were trapped under the weight of the world?"

"In exchange for my absolute loyalty my employer has graciously switched my position out for another." Atlas laughed softly. "Actually, he rather reminds me of you. The family resemblance is startling."

"Jason." Thalia breathed, her face twisting in rage. She took a step forward and the Cyclopes matched her, all of them preparing to crush her with their clubs. Atlas smiled at her goadingly and spread his arms wide. "You let my brother go!"

"Now, why would I do that?" Atlas asked reasonably. "Not only am I free, but I also have a contract with someone very dangerous. Not very wise to renege on a contract. Particularly like the one I made."

"And just who is your employer?" Chiron demanded.

"You know, as much as I would enjoy seeing the despair on your face when you find out I am afraid that I must decline telling you." Atlas sighed in apparent unhappiness. "He was very specific in that. Not wanting to reveal his hand too early and all that. However, he has permitted us the chance to destroy one of the demigod camps. A fair trade wouldn't you say?"

"Come get us then!" Thalia challenged, drawing her sword and raising her shield to meet Atlas's stare.

The titan winced at the shield, but he did not look away. "Kill them." He said, smirking. "Don't take too long."

"Ready!" Thalia barked and her Hunters drew back on their bows, taking aim at the advancing line of monsters. "Fire!"

A volley of silver arrows streaked towards the monster and buried themselves into their targets. Several monsters disintegrated on the spot, but for each one that disappeared another was there to take its place. Atlas held the shaft of an arrow in his free hand, snapping it in his fist with a look of great superiority. "Fire!" Thalia roared again, preparing herself as a line of monsters ran, slithered, and flew at them. Another volley of arrows cut down many of the monsters, but others still crashed into the line of demigods. Thalia cut down a werewolf in less than three seconds and leapt back as a Cyclopes' club smashed down on the spot she had been standing on mere moments ago. She leapt forward, her sword swinging in a deadly arc as she attacked the monster.

Atlas watched as his monsters laid waste to the demigods, his mouth curled up into a sneer. "Such a pity that they will not see true despair in the days to come." He lamented.

"It's a pity you won't either." A rough voice said from behind the Titan. Two arms ending in wicked claws went around his throat as though embracing him. The arms tightened and Atlas stumbled forward as they raked across his exposed throat. Ryker shoved the Titan forward with his foot and leaned forward, a terrible glare on his face. Atlas turned back to regard the newcomer, putting a hand to his shredded throat even as the flesh knitted back together. Once he was healed enough to be able to speak Atlas laughed and shook his head. "Was this truly the best that you could do?" He taunted, placing his hands back into the pockets of his pants. Golden ichor marred the otherwise perfect suit the Titan wore, though he did not seem overly concern by the stain. "Forgive me, I don't believe that I know you."

Ryker's mouth twitched into a snarl and he lunged at the Titan, his claws going for Atlas's throat again. Sighing with apparent distaste, Atlas sidestepped Ryker's attack and let him go skidding past. Ryker whirled back around and slashed at Atlas again, his eyes narrowing in rage. "My, my," Atlas said as he raised a hand and sent Ryker flying back with a wave. A dog-headed man briefly got between the hunter and the Titan, but Ryker reduced it to dust in seconds. "It seems you do not know who I am. Allow me to introduce myself!"

"I don't care who you are." Ryker grinned at him, overjoyed to face an opponent of such strength.

"Well that is rather rude." Atlas sniffed, shaking his head. He snapped his fingers and Ryker was suddenly forced to his knees as a terrible weight was placed on his shoulders. He snarled and struggled to his feet, but Atlas waved his hand again and the son of Cybele was forced down again. Atlas strode forward and crouched down to regard the trapped demigod closer. "Hm, I don't recognize you at all. Tell me, who is your divine parent?"

Ryker could not so much as raise his head to growl at his captor. The weight seemed to be everywhere at once, greater than anything he had ever experienced before. "I suppose that you are too incapacitated to give me an answer." Atlas admitted, straightening from his crouch. "In case you were wondering what that awful weight you are feeling is, it is a mere fraction of that which I was forced to bear. The weight of the world. Since you are going to die in a few moments I might as well tell you since you so foolishly challenged me; only Artemis can kill me."

If Atlas had been paying attention he would have seen the aura that begin to seep out of Ryker's body, but the titan stood up and turned away without a second thought. He raised a surprised eyebrow and smiled coldly when he saw Artemis standing several meters in front of him, her face drawn into a scowl. "Atlas." She said in greeting. "Who released you from your sentence?"

"Things are changing." Atlas answered back easily. "My employer decided to make a change. He sent me here to destroy the demigod camp, but I'm sure he won't mind if I kill you as well."

"Your battle is not with me." Artemis said, her long knives remaining sheathed at her side. "Although I would like nothing more than to kill you. The laws of a Hunt dictate that the one who initiates the fight be the one who finish it. Your battle is with the one behind you."

Atlas rolled his eyes. "Truly?" He asked in exasperation. "I realize how cruel the gods are, better than most, but even for you that is saddening. Fine. I will kill the demigod and then you and I can finish this."

He turned back around and blinked in surprise as he beheld the demigod. Ryker was no longer pressed against the ground. He was standing, though that was not what caught Atlas's interest. Ryker's eyes had changed into that of a snake's even down to the slit pupil and he was holding an all too familiar silver bow in his hand with a silver arrow drawn. "Artemis is the only one who can kill you, huh?" Ryker snarled, "We'll see about that."

Atlas's eyes had just enough time to widen in shock before three silver arrows buried themselves in his chest. The titan sank to his knees, and glared at Ryker. "This isn't over." He promised. A hole in the earth opened up beside him and the titan fell through it with the last of his strength.

Ryker moved to leap into the hole after the titan, but a sudden agony ripped through him and he fell to his back. He clawed at the air and fought to draw in even a single shuddering breath.


	35. The Underworld

"So you don't know _anything_?" Nico pressed, following after his father's robes as he strode through his palace. "Nothing at all?"

"For perhaps the hundredth time, no." Hades said curtly, removing a large leather bound book and flipping through it. "I was not even aware one of the souls from Elysium had gone missing until you brought it to my attention. The other gods may have some inkling as to what is going on, but I would be the last to know. Of course that should not surprise me, but it is rather tiresome nonetheless. I have saved them more times than I can count and yet they insist on keeping me out of the loop."

Nico suppressed his desire to roll his eyes. His father was in a mood to rant about the unfair treatment of the other gods and little would be able to bring him out of said mood. "Do you at least know _how_ a soul would be taken?" He asked hopefully.

"Thanatos generally keeps a very good eye on such things." Hades told his son, slamming the book shut and replacing it on the shelf. Persephone looked up from where she was reading by the black fire that flickered in Hades' fireplace and shot her husband a sour look. When Hades turned his back she and Nico shared an exasperated expression and Nico hid a smile. Persephone had recently been much kinder to him than she usually was, a welcome reprieve from her former coldness. The Lord of the Underworld turned back around and glared at the two of them suspiciously. "When he returns I will ask him if anything has been amiss in the Underworld."

"Can't you just Skype him?" Nico sighed. "I know you have him in your contacts. He added me a few weeks ago by accident."

"That actually was not by accident." Hades admitted, pulling his tablet out of a fold in his robes. "I asked him to look after you in the off chance I was busy."

"I can look after myself." Nico insisted with a scowl that accentuated his resemblance to his father. "Also, while we are on the topic of you being busy what's with the Di Angelo Funeral Homes?"

Hades blinked in surprise and then smiled ruefully, the expression odd on his normally angry face. "Well, I rather thought that you would enjoy a summer job." Hades admitted. "Most other children your age seem to take enjoyment in the idea of earning money, so I thought that I would give you the same opportunity that they had. Consider it me teaching you financial responsibility."

Nico was actually at a loss for words. He had thought it might have been a joke on his father's part, Hades was not known for his sense of humor after all, but hearing that he was actually touched. "Well… thank you." Nico said awkwardly.

Hades smiled back with just as much awkwardness. "Of course." He sighed and shook his head. "I will do what I can to find out about the missing soul. If something has been plundering Elysium that necessitates further investigation."

One of the massive doors to the mansion opened and a terribly handsome man with wings as dark as midnight stepped through. "Ah, Thanatos." Hades greeted. "I was hoping that you would be stopping by soon, I needed to speak with you."

"You couldn't have Skyped me?" The god of death inquired with a raised eyebrow. "You _both_ have me in your contact list."

"That's what I said." Nico agreed, nodding to Thanatos in lieu of a greeting.

"Since I am here, what did you need my lord?" Thanatos asked politely, pulling his iPad out of his suit and beginning to tap away at the screen with a stygian iron Stylus. "I don't see any discrepancies in the soul collection for the day. Are there new names to add?"

"Not quite." Hades told him regretfully. "There has been an issue with Elysium."

"An issue my lord?" Thanatos asked curiously. Nico couldn't help but notice that his voice constantly took on the tone that one would assume when telling someone that a dear friend had died. It was very disconcerting, especially given Thanatos's propensity for sarcasm. "What issue would that be?"

"One, and possibly more, soul has been taken from Elysium." Hades said heavily. "A daughter of Aphrodite by the name of Silena Beauregard."

Thanatos glanced questioningly at Nico. "Was she assisted?" He asked finally, placing his tablet back into the folds of his suit.

Nico scowled at the implication. "I didn't pull her out." He said.

"From what my son has told me she was taken unwillingly." Hades said smoothly, cutting off the impending argument. "What's more is that she has no idea as to who removed her from Elysium."

"Would you like me to send her back?" Thanatos asked, pulling out his tablet again and tapping furiously at the screen. "I have a marvelous new iReap app. Very handy for souls that are proving to be a hassle. One touch and the mortal drops dead in their place."

"While I appreciate your enthusiasm I am afraid that would not be in our best interest." Hades said regretfully, placing one finger on Thanatos's tablet and lowering it before the god of death could do something hasty. "The demigod in question has been made the host of the Oracle of Delphi. At present the Oracle is of great import to the gods. Killing its host would only anger Zeus, which I simply do not feel like dealing with."

"Would the Oracle not simply transfer hosts as it has done before?" Thanatos stowed the tablet back in his coat, rather unhappily Nico noted.

"It is certainly possible." Hades nodded. "But as the culprit behind the young lady's abduction is still at large it is entirely possible that there is some sort of trap being laid out. If you were to reap the soul of the Oracle's current host it could set off a rather undesirable, and unforeseen, chain of events. Best to let her be for now. Plenty of time to send her back to Elysium once this mess has been sorted out."

"Speaking of Elysium," Thanatos withdrew a sheet of black paper from a pocket and handed it to Hades. "A number of demigods were killed today during an attack on Camp Half-Blood."

Nico, who had been only half-listening to the conversation, immediately gave the gods his full attention. He longed to snatch the paper from his father and read through the names, desperate to see if any of his friends had been hurt, but he restrained himself. "May I see that once you are finished, father?" He asked with cold indifference. It wouldn't do for his father to see his worry.

Hades perused the list for a moment before handing it to Nico. "I suppose that we should expedite their applications." He sighed. "Otherwise their godly parents might take offense and come down here to yell at me."

"Understood."

Nico scanned through the list several times, recognizing many of the names. Some of the demigods were only barely familiar, but others he had spoken with several times. It was odd for him, a son of the Underworld, to actually mourn people's passing and yet he could not help but feel a sliver of remorse. The last name on the list, Aiden Bishop, sent a particular feeling of agony through him. Aiden had been Will's closest sibling. The little kid would often follow him around like a lost puppy but Will, rather than find it annoying, merely laughed and often invited him along. Aiden had been around so much that Nico had grown rather fond of his perpetual smile and good mood. Stronger than Nico's own feeling of loss was his worry for his boyfriend. Will had truly loved Aiden like a little brother. He would be devastated with the news of his death. "Death is a part of life." Thanatos's words were clearly directed at him, and Nico glanced up to the impassive face of the god. "That is what makes life so precious."

"I know that." Nico snapped. "You don't need to remind me."

"All the same." Thanatos extended his hand for the list and Nico regretfully handed it back to him. He glanced back to Hades and said, "Also, Artemis has added another to her Hunt so his name will need to be taken off of the register if it was ever there."

"His?" Hades and Nico repeated, in unison. They exchanged surprised looks and then turned their attention back on Thanatos simultaneously. Hades asked, "She added a _male_ to her Hunt? After what happened with Orion?"

"That's what she said." Thanatos said coolly. "His name was Ryker I believe, son of Cybele. Actually that is the reason I came to speak to you. I could not find his name on the soul register and I was hoping that you could shed some light on the situation."

"Perhaps." Hades shrugged noncommittally. "I would have to check a few things. It is not unheard of for a demigod to be removed from the record. As unfortunate as it is, the other gods are always planning something and the soul register is not very well guarded."

Perhaps it was just Nico's imagination but he was certain that Persephone seemed to have taken a rather keen interest in the conversation when Ryker's name was mentioned. The demigod dismissed it, but something told him that Persephone had something to do with Ryker's name being missed in the registry. "Well, father," Nico began, "If it is all the same to you I will be returning to the surface now. I'm sure that Chiron will be wanting me there to arrange for the funeral rites."

"Very well." Hades nodded at his son. "It was good of you to stop by. I will send you more information regarding the funeral parlor once I get a spare moment."

Nico stepped into a shadow in the corner of the room and vanished, leaving his father, Thanatos, and Persephone by themselves in the Underworld.


	36. Meeting

"About time you got back." Thalia said, glancing up at Ryker when he strode into the Big House. "Anything?"

Ryker shook his head once. "Nothing more than a few stray monsters." He said quietly. "They're dust by the way."

Chiron came limping up to them with one arm in a sling and a heavily bandaged fore hoof. He had been injured in the battle against Atlas's forces and was now occupying his time by coordinating the camp's defenses. The Hunters of Artemis had decided to stay and assist them, much to the campers' delight and immense relief. "Let's be glad that they were not intending on a second attack." He said gravely, placing his hands on the pool table and staring down at the defensive layout they had drawn up. "I'm not sure that we could withstand a second assault of such magnitude. Not without severe casualties."

Ryker leaned against the wall and glanced to the side when Nico stepped out of a shadow in the corner of the room. Nico nodded at him and strode to the table, thoroughly surprising Thalia and Chiron. "Nico, a little warning next time." Thalia said, fervently shaking her head. "Where have you been?"

"The Underworld." Nico answered coolly, clearly unconcerned with Thalia's surprise. "Silena was taken from Eylsium-."

"Silena?" Thalia cut him off, one eyebrow raised in confusion. "Silena Beauregard?"

"You didn't tell her?" Nico asked Ryker, frowning.

Ryker scowled. "Tell her what?" He growled. "That we rescued some girl from Python?"

"That was _kind of_ important." Nico shot back.

"To you." Ryker countered. "I couldn't care less."

"Enough." Chiron said loudly, interrupting the inevitable argument. "Nico, what's this about Silena?"

"Silena was taken from Elysium against her will." Nico explained. "She was being held prisoner by Python in a jar. They forced her to accept the Oracle of Delphi, which means that Thanatos can't take her back to Elysium. Not until we have a better idea on what exactly is going on here. I heard that you were attacked, what happened?"

"Atlas." Chiron said darkly. "He staged a surprise attack and nearly overwhelmed us. If it was not for the Hunter's assistance I fear that the Camp might have been lost. As it is, we have many demigods who require the funeral rites. Once we finish here, would you be willing to assist us Nico?"

"Of course." Nico's face softened for a moment as he remembered the list of names Thanatos had shown him. A feeling of anger suddenly filled him and he whirled around on Ryker. "You!"

"Me." Ryker was unconcerned with Nico's anger, but he tensed all the same. "Something bothering you?"

"Why didn't you protect them?" Nico demanded. It was irrational and very unfair on Ryker's part, but Nico was furious all the same. So much death had been caused for the simple fact that Ryker had been so obstinate in his assistance. If he had just given in to the gods' whims like he should have perhaps more deaths could have been avoided. "You act like such a big shot, like you are some great fighter, but you haven't done anything. You can't protect anyone. You only get people killed or captured."

Ryker rolled his eyes. "I kept myself alive." He answered back with a smirk. "If the others couldn't do the same, well, I guess they just weren't good enough were they?"

It was a curious thing, Nico's anger. Ryker watched as the pale demigod shook with rage, his face contorting into a fearsome scowl. The shadows around the Big House seemed to spread further along the walls, creeping towards Ryker like the roots of a tree. "How dare you?" Nico whispered, his eyes malevolent. "How dare you act like their blood is not on your hands?"

Ryker smirked again and made a show of examining his hands. "I don't see any blood on them." He answered back, turning his hands over and examining his palms.

"Enough, Nico." A clear voice said. The mere sound of the words seemed to force the shadows to retreat back to where they had come from. A beautiful woman clad in a silver Hunter's outfit strode into the cabin, a ghostly white bow slung over her shoulder. "I understand well your anger, but at present it is not wise to unleash it on your allies. No matter how infuriating they may be." Artemis glanced accusingly at Ryker and he shrugged.

Nico took a steadying breath and resumed his blank expression. "Fine." He said.

"My Lady." Thalia inclined her head in deference.

"Artemis, it is always good to see you." Chiron greeted. "But if I may be blunt, why are you here?"

"I am here to assist you." She answered back simply.

Mr. D strode into the Big House at that moment and nodded in agreement. "Going to be rather crowded here soon." He said with a shred of interest. "That last attack here was not the only one."

"What's that mean?" Thalia asked warily.

"Oceanus has returned as well." Artemis said gravely. "He has begun anew his old war with Poseidon. At the same time that Atlas attacked here, Oceanus attacked Poseidon's palace. Both attacks were devastating. Poseidon was able to push back the offense, but not without severe losses."

"And they were only two of the attacks." A third voice added, one that was very familiar to Ryker. The wooden walls of the Big House seemed to shift and change until Cybele simply stepped out of the wood. She smiled at Ryker and moved to stand next to her son before continuing, "The nymphs, dryads, and satyrs of the forest were attacked as well."

"Cybele." Artemis nodded at her. "It has been quite a while. I must say, it is unlike you to show yourself among so many."

"We all must make sacrifices to face what is to come." Cybele answered gravely. "In addition to the forest, the Roman Camp was attacked as well."

"And my Amazons as well." A rather angry voice added. A surge of flame appeared at the end of the pool table opposite where Chiron stood and when it died away a man in armor stood there, scowling. "They had to flee from their factory. Do you know how much merchandise they lost because of that battle?"

"I would imagine quite a lot." Mr. D rolled his eyes. "But I don't really care. How many Amazons were killed?"

"Too many." Ares growled. "If they hadn't been caught by a surprise attack, none of them would have died! They are _my_ daughters after all."

"Honorary daughters." Artemis corrected. "But I see your point. Kind of."

Thalia, Nico, and Chiron seemed to be at a loss for words at having so many gods show up in such a short amount of time. Ryker on the other hand was not quite as star struck. "So why are all of you here?" He asked abruptly, cutting off Ares before he could speak again. The god of war sent him an incredulous and affronted look that Ryker met with a cool stare. "You must have a reason." Ryker reasoned, looking away from Ares to meet the eyes of every other god.

"Ah yes," Mr. D sighed. He sent a long-suffering look to Cybele and she smiled back apologetically. "I rather liked your daughters better, Cybele. They were much more respectful. You should really try to teach him some manners. My patience is wearing thin."

Ryker glared at him and opened his mouth to speak, but Cybele cut him off with a look that Ryker could only describe as motherly. "I will work on him." She promised Dionysus.

"He makes a good point though." Thalia said slowly. "Why _are_ all of you here?"

"Because events have deemed it appropriate for us to take action." Artemis said. "The recent attacks have been well orchestrated precise things. In addition to that, it appears that the Titans and Giants have been placed under the same banner."

"Wait, shouldn't we have the others here as well?" Nico interjected. "They will want to-."

"Yes, you are quite right." Mr. D cut him off and waved a hand airily. "I am sure that your little group would be happy to be here, but it is not wise to place all of your chips in one basket as it were. It's best to keep you separated. For now at least."

"Speaking of our group," Thalia's voice was firm, "What about my brother? Atlas said that he is holding up the weight of the world right now! We need to save him!"

"I agree." Ares nodded vigorously. "The boy is a good fighter. Besides, he actually respects me. Can't have a good demigod like him die."

"So what would you have us do?" Mr. D asked in bored voice. "Run to his aid with the strength of the camp? If Atlas said it there is a good chance there is a trap there waiting for us. I'm sure that he was not intending on being defeated. He most likely thought to destroy the camps and then kill the rest when they went to save Jason. Or at least something to that effect. Regardless, whoever we sent would be walking right into a trap."

"I'll go alone then." Thalia snarled, her eyes filled with determination. "He's my brother. I have to save him."

"I am afraid that I cannot permit that." Artemis told her regretfully. "You are my lieutenant. The Hunters need you to guide them."

"And yet she is correct." Cybele mused. "The boy must be rescued. A child of Jupiter should not be abandoned, especially considering all we do not know."

"And yet it seems that we have no way to get him." Chiron said sadly. "Until we deal with our present issues I am afraid that Jason might have to be put aside for now."

"Who knows how long that will take?" Thalia snapped. "It could take _months_ maybe _years_ for us to figure out what's going on there. He won't survive that long! Percy and Annabeth only held the sky for a little while and they nearly died! He might be dead already."

The cabin lapsed into silence as each of the occupants considered how best to deal with the problem facing them. It was Dionysus, to everyone's surprise, who spoke after the pause. "It seems to me that a Hunter would have to be the one to go rescue the boy." He said finally. When Artemis opened her mouth to object Dionysus held up a hand, forestalling her inevitable argument. "And yet your Hunters are needed to defend this camp."

"So what are you saying?" Nico asked, lost as to his point. "Why would it have to be a Hunter?"

"Because it was Atlas who informed us of John's position." Dionysus answered him.

"John?" Ryker inquired quietly. "Who's John?"

"The titans undoubtedly expect a Hunter to go to Jason's rescue, most likely Thalia." Artemis seemed to have gained an understanding of where Dionysus was going with this train of thought. "So you are saying that we should send one?"

Dionysus stifled a yawn and nodded. "But perhaps not one that they expect."

Comprehension dawned on everyone in the cabin and they turned to stare at Ryker. The wild demigod raised an eyebrow and scratched his head with a sigh. "I'm about to be sent on another of your little quests again, aren't I?" He asked miserably.


	37. The Other Meeting

Percy was having a bad day. He had spent most of the morning up to his elbows in monsters. But that hadn't been all that bad, in fact he had enjoyed the simplicity of a fight. It somewhat made the current meeting he was sitting through somewhat more manageable. It had been the fifth one that day alone, and as with the other four the Senate meeting had been reduced to a glorified shouting match. Percy had been one of the ones shouting at first, desperate to have himself heard above the others. He had continued his efforts until the third meeting in which he realized the futility of a shouting match. The issue that the Senate had been debating was on what the Romans should do about the rampant number of attacks that had taken place. Percy had, of course, voiced his desire to offer aid to the other demigod camp considering the Roman camp's immense size and available troops. He had been met with two main reactions, ready agreement and outraged denial. The Senate seemed to be split evenly down the middle on the issue with half of them in favor of bringing the camps together and the other half only concerned with protecting the Romans' own people.

He had implored both Frank and Annabeth to give their aid to his cause but, to his shock, both of them had regretfully denied his request. "It's not smart to bring everyone together right now." Annabeth had told him sadly. "Not until we have a better idea of what we are facing."

"Bringing both camps together would be painting a huge sign on our back." Frank had agreed.

So now Percy waited on the stone seats as the umpteenth Roman senator stood and made his case for whatever side he had decided to take. Percy had stopped listening after the first Roman had spoken, assuming the blank stare that he had mastered in his years of school. Annabeth sat at his side, taking the complete opposite direction. She watched the Roman speak, drinking in every word and narrowing her eyes. "He makes some good points." She muttered to Percy.

He grunted an unintelligible response which had been his principle form of communication in the past two meetings. He was not happy that Annabeth had shot down his idea to go to the aid of Camp Half-Blood but he also understood her reasoning behind the decision. Hazel sat on Percy's other side, her eyes just as bored as his were as they took in the scene as yet another Senator stood to speak. She immediately launched into a verbal rant about how they should band together the forces of both camps, immediately drawing several shouts of opposition. The Senate quickly fell into a near deafening roar as the two sides went at each other again. "I'm leaving." Percy decided, muttering his verdict to Annabeth. "This isn't going anywhere."

"Oh, don't leave me here." Annabeth whispered back in dismay. "I don't want to have to listen to them by myself."

"You have Frank," Percy protested. " _I'm_ not the Praetor here."

"Well then, as Praetor I am ordering you to stay."

"I'm not a Roman either."

"Well then, it's a good thing that you are going to stay anyways isn't it?" Percy's neck cracked as he spun his head around to see who had spoken. He had not heard anyone approach, which usually meant that either Nico was around or a god had decided to visit.

It turned out to be the latter, though Percy had also been mistaken. It was not just one god that was sitting behind him, it was three. He recognized two instantly, Venus and Juno, but the third was a mystery to him. He frowned at the third, racking his brain to come up with an answer. She was beautiful, but then again most of the gods were, and her tunic was made out of a rich assortment of colors. She raised an eyebrow at Percy's inspection, but she did not seem to be offended. In fact she eventually smiled and chuckled softly. "I am assuming that you do not recognize me?" She guessed.

"Nope." Percy admitted, wincing. This goddess seemed nice enough, but then again a god could be as kind as the day is long as still turn you into a turnip for breathing wrong. Or, in Nico's case, a cornstalk. Percy's ADHD kicked in and he looked away from the goddesses when he realized that he could no longer hear the arguing from the senators. He was treated with what seemed like the world's most intense game of charades. The senators were still shouting at one another, but Percy could not hear a single word they were saying. Coupled with that was the fact that they seemed to have no idea that three of their principal goddesses had appeared mere feet from them. "Are they alright?" He asked concernedly.

"Oh, they're fine." Venus said brightly. "They can hear each other, but I do not like shouting. At least, not when it isn't in passion. They are shouting simply because they can, they don't really have any heart in it. Rather disappointing actually. A passionate argument is a wonderful thing but a meaningless shouting match makes me rather annoyed."

"They can't see us either. To them, the five of you are all watching them with interested expressions." Juno added. Her presence was enough to both irritate and caution Percy. Roman or Greek, Hera or Juno, she was by far one of the most sneaky and underhanded of the Olympians. Percy wouldn't put it past her to have something to do with the disappearing demigods.

"Um, excuse me," Hazel asked cautiously, drawing the attention of the three goddesses. "What exactly are you doing here if I may ask? I doubt you came just to watch the Senate argue."

"You are correct." The unnamed goddess told her. She paused and smiled at Percy. "I believe that you know me in my Greek form as Demeter? _I_ am Ceres."

"Oh." Percy instantly made the connection between her clothing and the colors found in nature. "Sorry. I don't see Demeter very often and I have never seen you before."

"Which begs the question, why are you here?" Annabeth asked rather venomously, glaring pointedly at Juno. Percy wanted to caution her, but he agreed with her anger too much to actually bring himself to do so. Hera and Juno had both caused them more than a lifetime of trouble in the past.

"We are here to assist you." Venus told them. "At least, in what manner we can."

"Because of the taken demigods?" Frank asked, his eyes sharp. Percy could nearly see the multitude of thoughts and ideas that were running through his mind even as he spoke. "Or because the camp was attacked?"

"Both, and because of what may be coming." Juno answered, examining her toga with mild interest. "It has been many years since the gods walked freely among the demigods, mostly because of Jupiter's silly rules." Overhead the sky instantly grew dark and a rumble of thunder boomed, causing Percy to wince. Juno merely rolled her eyes and waved airily at nothing in particular.

"So, why now?" Piper inquired, crossing her arms. "What caused Zeus to change his mind?"

"He is afraid." Ceres answered carefully. The sky rumbled again, though much softer this time. "Or perhaps worried is the better term. I am sure that you are aware by now, but the two camps were not the only ones attacked. Poseidon's palace was attacked as well, as were many of the creatures of the forest. The Amazons' headquarters has been reduced to near rubble and those that survived have been scattered to the winds. On top of that it seems as though the Giants and the Titans have been brought together and are now working towards a common goal, though as to who is uniting them is still a mystery to us."

"My father's palace was attacked?" Percy demanded, half-rising from his seat. "Is Tyson alright?"

"Tyson?" Juno inquired, one eyebrow raised. Comprehension suddenly dawned in her eyes and she nodded. "As of right now he is alive."

Percy breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down, his heartbeat resuming its normal pattern. Annabeth patted his arm in reassurance and he smiled at her uncertainly. "So are you here to tell us whether or not we should unite the camps?" Frank asked warily. Percy saw the determined set of his jaw and he knew that if the gods' logic in their plan was not sound then the Praetor would not carry them out no matter the consequences. Such loyalty to his legion was one of the things that Percy most respected about him. That and he seemed to be a kindred spirit in not immediately trusting the gods' words implicitly. Percy firmly believed there should be a healthy wariness that should be assumed with any god or goddess.

"We are." Venus said, clearly happy to see the passion in Frank. "The camps will remain separated."

Annabeth shot Percy an _I-told-you-so_ look and nodded in agreement. "It makes the most sense." She said, slightly smugly.

"That being said, we do have some bad news." Juno said. "Jason Grace has been taken prisoner by the enemy."

Percy's eyes widened in shock and his hand went to where Riptide was resting in his pocket. His fingers wrapped around the pen and he narrowed his eyes. "So what are you going to do about it?" He challenged. "We have to do something."

"We already are." Ceres told him in a placating tone. "The other demigod camp has already sent someone to go retrieve the son of Jupiter. A demigod by the name of Ryker I believe. You know him I take it?"

Mixed emotions could not even come close to describing Percy's mood set. On the one hand he was relieved that the gods had actually sent someone to get Jason. But on the other hand they had sent perhaps the one demigod alive that they simply could not control. Percy was well aware that Ryker's skills would give him a good chance of rescuing Jason, but he also knew that Ryker would not be willing to do everything in his power to save him if it meant that the son of Cybele would be risking his life. "So who are _we_ sending?" Percy asked, his tone indicating that he wanted go as well.

Venus was quick to shoot down his hopes however. "No one." She said smoothly, observing the senate with an expression of mild distaste. "For now we have a different task for all of you. Our forces need to be rallied before the next attack. Even with the gods' assistance, if the Titans and Giants attack as one we cannot guarantee a victory. Our best chance lies in brining as much strength under our banner that we can. The Amazons that have been scattered after the fall of their factory should be brought back to this camp."

"That might cause some issues." Annabeth warned. "There are a lot of males here that haven't met them."

"In the face of overwhelming danger, I think they can manage to get along for a little while." Juno said dryly. "From what we understand they have relocated to their separate base of operations. It is well hidden in the mountains of North America, and even better defended than the last one."

"So how are we going to get them to come here?" Annabeth asked. "They are really independent. I can't imagine that they will want to come here, especially if they see it like they are running away from a fight."

"Leave that to us." Ceres advised, examining the dirt under her nails. Percy was momentarily captivated by the idea of a goddess actually having dirt under her nails, but then he remembered his own father fishing in Bermuda shorts and a Hawaiian shirt. With the gods anything was possible. "Once you get there you will only need speak with them and get them back to camp. It should not be very difficult."

"So when do we leave?" Frank asked finally. "And who is going?"

"I rather thought that the five of you would be a good group." Juno said, smiling pleasantly at them. "Don't worry, I am sure that they will find a temporary leader for the camp. Once we send you along your way we will make ourselves known."

"Wait, but what about Orion?" Hazel demanded. "He's still taking demigods."

"I think that you won't have to worry about that anymore." Ceres smiled knowingly. "He may be using the earth to escape, but I know the earth better than anyone. If he deigns to make another attempt he will be met by more than just a demigod."

 _Just a demigod._ Percy echoed in his head sourly. "So, when do we leave?"

Venus smiled at them in such a way that Percy instantly regretted the question. "Why right now of course!" She cried, clapping her hands together and causing the five demigods to disappear.


	38. Pinky Promise

The morning of Ryker's departure came far too soon for the wild demigod's preference. It was the day after the meeting in the Big House and true to Mr. D's word, several other minor gods had already shown up at the camp. Without exception each time that a god or goddess arrived they were immediately swarmed by their children if they had some. Nike's arrival had been particularly interesting as her children immediately challenged her to a wide variety of games. Nike had, without exception, accepted every challenge with great enthusiasm. Thus far only a few of her children had actually succeeded in beating her. The various challenges that the ultra-competitive goddess and her children were a nuisance to the other campers at best. A chariot race through the camp had nearly killed several other campers, though they were given apologies later and a medal for "Excellent dodging skills" by Nike. Perhaps even more annoying that Nike's constant competitions was when Hermes arrived by camp. The messenger of the gods had also issued a challenge to his children, although _that_ challenge had been far from as well publicized as Nike's. In fact, the challenge was only evident when items started to go missing. Ryker had been arguing with a daughter of Demeter about the pros and cons of hunting when he suddenly realized that the bow he had been given by Artemis was nowhere to be found. It was especially disconcerting since it had been in his hand at the time. He had searched high and low for the weapon before noticing that other demigods, and even a couple gods, seemed to be searching as well. Dionysus seemed especially livid as someone has evidently stolen his favorite glass from him. It was only after several campers staged a raid against the Hermes cabin that they found a massive hoard of stolen items hidden in a secret room that the children of Hermes had evidently built to hide their prizes. Everyone had gotten their items back, but that had not been the end of it. In fact it seemed like that only reset the game for the light-fingered demigods. Items once again went missing, much faster this time and in addition to that the items seemed to be bigger as well. Someone had even managed to steal the entire Athena table from the chow hall without a single person being the wiser. The daughters of Athena had been, understandably, furious when they discovered the theft. To Ryker's knowledge the table had yet to be discovered or returned. The last he had heard on the issue was that the daughters of Athena had teamed up with the Ares cabin and were now doing their best to capture one of the children of Hermes to get information from them. This would have been much easier had Hermes not supplied all of his children with winged sneakers, allowing them to simply take flight into the air at whim.

These thefts had led Ryker to his current situation. His bow had been stolen yet again, but this time the thief had not managed to slip quietly away. She had taken to the air and was now staring down at him, smirking. "Missing something?" She called down, flipping his bow casually and catching it.

Ryker's eyes narrowed and he looked around for something to throw at her. He had grown rather fond of the silver bow, and he did not like having things taken from him. He lighted on a barrel full of spears only a few meters away and walked over, keeping an eye on the thief the entire time, grabbing a handful of spears. The daughter of Hermes had just enough time to yelp and dodge out of the way before the first spear went zipping by her. She looked at Ryker in shock and anger, not believing that he had actually tried to hit her. "What's going on over here?" Hermes demanded, striding over to the two as Ryker aimed another spear at his daughter. He was wearing a postal worker's uniform, though the metal fasteners were made out of imperial gold. Hermes waved his arm and the spears in Ryker's arms turned into boxes.

"I was throwing spears at her." Ryker answered back coldly, glaring at Hermes for interfering. "She stole my bow. I want it back."

Hermes glanced up at his daughter and, rather than hide the bow behind her back, she held it in front of her like a trophy. She did assume somewhat of a guilty expression and gently flew down to the ground. "Now you know the rules." Hermes said sternly, wagging a finger at her. The snakes on his staff seemed to be wagging their heads in mimicry. "For a steal to count you have to get away without being caught."

"But it's going to be so hard to catch up!" She whined even as she tossed the bow back to Ryker. He snatched it out of the air and glared at her some more. "Travis is so far ahead! How am I going to catch up after-?"

"Just try your hardest." Hermes said, cutting her off before she could reveal potential information. "Not going to catch up by standing here and arguing." Hermes added meaningfully.

She sighed and took to the skies, presumably to find a better, less aware target. When she was gone Hermes turned his attention back on Ryker and raised an eyebrow. "Did you really have to throw spears at her?" He asked. "What if you had hit her?"

"I was trying to hit her." Ryker said, unconcerned with the idea. "If I had hit her I would have gotten my bow back."

"And I would have had to take revenge on you." Hermes told him gravely.

"Hermes, is my son causing you trouble?" Cybele asked cheerfully, striding up to them with a very large lion at her side. She put her arm around Ryker's shoulder, and shot the messenger of the gods an apologetic smile. "I am sorry if he did. Kids these days, what are we to do?"

"Well, no harm no foul." Hermes said, smiling back at her. "Now, if you excuse me, I think that I will go see how my other children go about my little contest."

"Yes, now that you mention it I believe that Athena was looking for you." Cybele told him. "Something about a missing table?"

Hermes sighed and bade the mother and son farewell. "So, when were you planning on leaving?" Cybele asked curiously. "I would imagine you would want to leave sometime soon."

"Probably tonight." Ryker agreed, examining his bow and stepping out from under his mother's arm. "Right after the sun sets. Should be easier to avoid the monsters then. Besides, the map that Artemis gave me is only readable at night."

"How were you planning on making it there?" Cybele asked, stroking the top of the lion's head fondly. "Running?"

"Probably." Ryker nodded. "Not sure how long it will take me to get there."

"You know, Thalia wants you to leave right now." Cybele remarked. "She was discussing it with Artemis earlier. Wanted Artemis to have you leave as soon as possible."

Ryker was unimpressed and unsurprised by this. "Jason is her brother." Ryker shrugged. "I'm sure that if she had it her way she would be the one going to get him."

"I heard that you turned down several demigods' offers to go along with you." Cybele said, looking at him with some degree of concern. "I had thought that you would have welcomed some company, if only for the sake of your own safety."

"To what end?" Ryker shook his head. "I don't know or trust any of them. If it came down to a fight like it undoubtedly will, I don't want to have to worry about anyone else."

"Because you have faith in your own strength." Cybele noted. "Some might say that trusting others is a strength in of itself."

Ryker processed that for a moment and shrugged. "Perhaps, but strength has many different definitions. I will keep my own."

"You _do_ remember what I told you?" His mother asked sternly. "This dependency you have on no one but yourself will lead you to your downfall. You must begin to place your trust in others as well otherwise you will not survive this."

"It's worked well enough for me in the past." Ryker's lip twitched into a snarl and the lion at Cybele's side growled low in a warning. "When I was forced to fend for myself. It worked for me for years, and now you simply want me to throw aside what kept me alive?"

Cybele looked at her son for a long while and Ryker stared back at her. Eventually she shook her head and walked away, sadness written all over her face. The lion that accompanied her sent Ryker a look of disdain before trotting back to her side. Ryker watched her go, a strange mixture of feelings that he could not identify swirling around inside of him like a maelstrom. He snarled and pushed the emotions back down before turning around and walking away opposite the direction from his mother.

"Um, excuse me?" A very tiny voice chirped as Ryker passed by the Pegasus pen. "Ryker?"

He glanced to the side and a small smile formed on his face before he could control the action. Cloe was there along with a daughter of Ares by the name of Clarisse, feeding the winged horses. Clarissa glanced up and nodded at Ryker in greeting before turning her attention back on the beast before her. "How are you doing Cloe?" Ryker asked warmly, walking over to the pen.

"Good." She said happily, skipping over to Ryker and climbing up the pen with apparent ease. She blew her dark hair out of her eyes and beamed at Ryker. "I missed you, where'd you go?"

"Oh, here and there." Ryker said airily. He glanced over as a pegasus with a light brown coat and startling silver wings clopped over and began to nuzzle at Cloe's pockets for treats. "I see you have a friend."

She giggled madly and pulled an apple shaped treat out of her hand and laughed even more as the horse eagerly ate it out of her hand. Ryker smiled despite himself and reached forward to pet the pegasus. The horse looked at his hand for a moment before allowing Ryker to run his hand across his neck. "His name is Mario." She told Ryker, petting the horse fondly. "You should come help Clarisse and me take care of them!"

"Think I will pass this time, young one." Ryker told her regretfully. "I need to do a few things before I leave."

"You're leaving?" Cloe's already pale complexion became almost ghostly. "You can't leave! You're my friend!"

"Sorry, kid." Ryker ruffled her hair. "Don't worry, I'll be back soon."

Cloe looked at him with wide eyes, but it wasn't like she was _just_ looking at him. Ryker's eyes narrowed. It looked as though she was seeing something almost entirely different than just Ryker. "But… if you go you might not come back." She whispered, terror evident in her voice. "You could get hurt real bad."

"What do you mean?" Ryker asked slowly, his hand tightening around his bow.

But Cloe evidently did not want to tell him what she meant. "I don't want you to go away." She said, her eyes filling with tears. "Please don't go away."

The concern in her voice actually gave Ryker pause. He sighed and smiled at her with genuine kindness and warmth. "Don't worry about me." He told her confidently, placing his hand on her head and laughing softly. "I'll come back and then we can feed the horses all you want."

"Pinky promise?" She asked, extending her little finger and looked at Ryker expectantly.

Uncertainly, Ryker glanced to Clarisse for guidance. He was not familiar with what a 'pinky promise' might be, nor what such an oath could entail in the future. Clarisse rolled her eyes and held up her own little finger before pointing to Cloe's. The little demigod was still looking at Ryker expectantly, her finger extended. Warily, Ryker extended his own pinky and Cloe wrapped her finger in his. "I promise." Ryker told her again.


	39. Daughter of Atlas

"Leaving without so much as a goodbye?" Ryker was forced to suppress a sigh of annoyance as he turned around to regard Artemis and his mother as they seemingly materialized out of nothing behind him. They wore different expressions though the undercurrent of tension was clear in both of them. Artemis was looking at him with what he guessed was pride while his mother was gazing at him with motherly concern. Both expressions gave Ryker pause, but he did not show the hesitation.

"Thought that it would be best to leave without anyone knowing." Ryker shrugged. "I suppose that would be too much to hope for with you two around."

"Absolutely." Artemis nodded. "My blessing lets me know where all my Hunters are at all times."

"Are you quite sure that you wish to go alone?" Cybele asked, worriedly. "This will not be easy… I would prefer it if you had someone to watch your back."

"I'm fine." Ryker said coolly, crossing his arms and staring at them. "I'll be back with Jason in no time at all."

"The route to Mount Orthys is fraught with monsters and danger." Artemis warned him. Even at night Artemis's natural glow illuminated the trees around her well enough for even a normal human to see fairly well. For Ryker, who had spent the last hour adjusting his eyes to the gloom, her presence was nearly blinding. "My map will give you the safest path, but you will still be in danger. Now that both Atlas and Orion have failed to kill you it is entirely possible that you will face an even more dangerous threat."

That brought a wicked smile to Ryker's face. "Good," He said eagerly. "Let them come. The more that I kill now is the less that I have to face later."

"And what about when you meet something that even you can't beat?" Cybele demanded, taking an angry pace forward. "Not everything in this world can be beaten simply through battle. What happens when you face something that simply cannot be killed?"

"Then I guess I will be the one to die." Ryker said after considering the implications of such a fight. His words had been well calculated and they had the desired effect. His mother looked at him in horror and he grinned back at her, pleased that he had managed to keep her from some sentimental speech. Though he was pleased that he had managed to keep from being preached to, he found that he was upset with himself for causing his mother to worry even further. But he strengthened his resolve and turned back around to face the forest. He raised a hand in farewell as he melted into the forest, leaving the two goddesses standing there. When he was well and clear of the Camp's boundaries he began to run. His eyes easily picked apart the gloom and he was able to make his way through the forest with great ease, without running across a single monster. He ran all night until the beginnings of dawn were peeking over the horizon.

He slowed to a walk and shrugged off his bag, pulling out the map that Artemis had given him. It wasn't like other maps he had seen, in fact Ryker quickly realized that it was not a map at all, the little square that she had given him did not unfold. Instead a bright silver arrow appeared in the air above the little metal square and pointed its head at a point slightly diagonal to the path that Ryker had been taking. He frowned and stared at the arrow in a silent question, but the silver figure quickly disappeared as more rays of light peeked over the horizon. Ryker placed the compass back in his bag and pulled it back over his shoulders. He could already hear the sounds of cars in the direction that the silver arrow had pointed him towards, and the thought of going to a city filled him with dread. Too many people in such a close proximity made him more on-edge than he already was.

Sure as rain, when Ryker cleared the forest he was presented with a view of large buildings that seemed to touch the very sky. He frowned slightly, uncertain as to where he was. Before he had left he had consulted with Chiron about how far Mount Orthys was. According to the old centaur even running at the pace that Ryker and the Hunters were able to set it would take him the better part of a five days to make it there. Ryker might have been fast, but he was nowhere near as fast as it would require to surmount a distance such as that. He pulled his bow from around his shoulder and patted the quiver where his arrows were resting over his right shoulder. _Well, let's see what is here._ If this wasn't the final destination, Ryker was certain that Artemis had sent him here for a different purpose. What that purpose might have been however, Ryker did not have a single clue.

He was still not entirely sure what this Mist was, even with Silver's quick explanation of the magical substance, but it seemed to be doing its job. Humans barely noticed him as he moved among him with his bow clutched in his hand. In fact, they seemed eager to be out of his way though they did not show any signs of fear or worry. The smells and sounds of the city were nearly overwhelming to Ryker's senses, sensitive as they were. His mind struggled to process every single sound and smell, or to at least focus on one so that he could lose focus on the others. He half-stumbled, half-walked his way through the streets, desperate to figure out what was so important about this city. He had just passed by a rather loud shop filled with cars when Ryker paused, his senses instantly on overdrive. He had just picked up a scent that was both familiar and foreign. He sniffed the air again, drawing a peculiar look from passerby, before turning to face the rather loud building with a glare. He had only met Atlas very briefly, but he had memorized his scent after Ryker had shredded his throat. The Titan was one of the few prey that could make the claim that they had actually escaped Ryker. He was not like to forget such a scent. Ryker drew an arrow from his quiver and quickly nocked it to his bow, advancing through the building's large entrance whilst scanning for any sign of movement. With all the noise from within Ryker had expected to see someone fairly quickly. Oddly enough the source of the noise seemed to be from an odd looking table that was actually moving of its own accord, various instruments extending from its sides as it evidently went about tinkering with the car. Ryker slowly replaced the arrow in the quiver and slung his bow over his shoulder, moving to get a closer look at the moving table. He summoned his claws out of sheer caution, though he wasn't sure if he was being too wary or not. The table seemed to give him no notice when he crouched down beside it for a closer look. Ryker glanced down at his claws and back to the table in slight confusion. The little machine seemed to be made out of the same metal that his gloves were. Ryker reached forward to touch the table out of curiosity when a small shimmering figure popped up on the table and shouted, "HEY! CUT THAT OUT!"

Out of sheer shock and surprise, Ryker lashed out at the table. The poor thing flew across the garage and crashed against the wall, clanking and whirring in a way that almost made Ryker take pity on it. The little shimmering figure, which he now recognized as a satyr, appeared again and glared at Ryker. "PUT THAT DOWN!" It shouted, thoroughly vexing Ryker.

"What's going on in here?" A voice that was _not_ the table demanded as a tan-skinned scrawny boy dashed into the room with Ryker. He took in the broken wreck that was his table and turned on Ryker in outrage. "Did you break Buford Two-Point-Oh? _Why would you do that_!?"

Ryker's eyes narrowed and he fell into a crouch. This kid smelled like Atlas, though the scent was odd. Almost as though the scent was attached to him rather than _coming_ from him. "Whoa, easy!" He held up his hands when he spotted Ryker's claws. "Easy there Wolverine, let's not slice-and-dice me okay?"

"Who are you?" Ryker demanded, not rising from his couch. "Why do you smell like Atlas?"

"Whoa man," The scrawny boy seemed offended now. "I get that I might get a little sweaty here, but I do _not_ smell that bad. No need for insults, we just met. We can insult each other later."

"What about Atlas?" A second, feminine voice inquired. A girl strode into the room, confidence exuding from her with every step. She glanced at Ryker and then to his claws before looking back to the broken table. Her brow furrowed as a frown creased her face. "And who broke Buford?"

"He did!" The scrawny demigod fumed. "And he said he smelled me."

"You do smell." The girl said fairly, smiling slightly at the tan-skinned boy. "And you have grease in your hair. Again. What am I to do with you?"

"I am really hoping that the answer involves a movie and-." The boy began.

"You." Ryker's eyes were malevolent as they beheld the female. It was instantly clear to him that _she_ was the one that Atlas's smell was coming from. Now that she was so close there was no doubt. It was heavily diluted, mixing with a very sweet yet slightly bitter smell. The grease on her clothing did not do much to assist Ryker's olfactory senses either. "You smell like Atlas."

"How do you know my father?" The girl asked, her voice deadly serious.

"Father." Ryker repeated, a slow grin spreading across his face. He flexed his hands and coiled his legs underneath him to strike. "Good. Maybe if I kill you Atlas will come to try and avenge you."

"I doubt it." Ryker had to give this girl credit. She did not waver even slightly when he had told her of his intention to end her. "My father hates me almost as much as he hates the Olympians. He would probably thank you for killing me. I take it that you aren't exactly friends with him either."

"Who are you?" Ryker asked warily, not rising from his ready stance. This girl made him wary, and now that he took a moment to notice it the boy smelled of _fire._

"Well, I am Leo Valdez." The boy puffed out his chest as though the name should mean something to Ryker. He was quickly deflated when Ryker sent him back a blank, impassive stare. "Seriously? The awesome-sauce demigod that took out Gaea? Bad-boy supreme? Mechanical Genius? Are none of these ringing a bell?"

"No." While Leo's peculiar attitude was interesting, and sort of annoying, it was his female companion that Ryker was truly interested in. She was not mortal, of that much Ryker was absolutely certain. "You. Who are you?"

"My name is Calypso." She told him, returning the glare that she was being given. "As I said, Atlas is my father. If I smell sort of like him I suppose that is an unavoidable consequence of genetics, is it not?"

"Pups often do take a scent similar to their parents." Ryker admitted grudgingly.

"How do you know about my father?" Calypso demanded, placing one hand on her hip and glaring at Ryker. The sheer venom in her stare was enough to actually cause Ryker to tense up again.

Leo winced at the stare and shook his head. "Don't argue with her." He warned Ryker, looking warily at his companion. "It's impossible to win. She always gets the last word."

"I met your father right after I tried to tear his throat out." Ryker decided to try to scare her through sheer bloodlust and sent her a hungry grin. The expression faltered when she only glared further at him. _What is with her?_ He demanded silently. His scare-tactics had never been rendered so useless.

"You traveled to Mount Orthys just to fight my father?" She asked coolly, crossing her arms now.

"I fought him at Camp Half-Blood." Ryker answered, frowning. He had not given the words any thought, but they seemed to carry a special significance to Calypso and Leo. "Something wrong?"

"Atlas should be, like, holding the world up." Leo glanced at the roof of his garage as though checking to see if it was going to fall. "And I don't see the sky fallin'. Which means either you are lying-" Ryker snarled at the implication. "Or Atlas got replaced by some other poor dude."

"A demigod by the name of Jason Grace has been captured and is now being forced to carry the weight of the world." Ryker told them, already growing bored of the conversation. He had only entered the building on the chance that Atlas would be there. Now that he knew that the Titan was not there, he no longer had a reason to be there. He had been looking towards the street outside when he suddenly felt two rough hands grab hold of his arms. "What do you think you are doing?" Ryker asked slowly, very slowly turning his head back to face Leo.

"You said Jason got grabbed?!" Leo demanded, giving Ryker a slight shake. "Jason Grace? Son of Jupiter? Really crappy sense of humor? Dates a little daughter of Aphrodite?"

"I don't know what 'dating' is." Ryker grabbed Leo's hands and very firmly removed them from his arms. The claws on his fingers cut into Leo's skin, but the boy barely seemed to notice. "But yes. Jason Grace. Son of Jupiter. Brother to Thalia. I've been sent to retrieve him."

Leo and Calypso exchanged a look and then turned back to Ryker, both of them exuding resolve. "We're coming too." Leo declared.

Ryker sighed. "No. You aren't."


	40. Same Destination

Leo had to admit that whoever this guy was he could _move._ After he and Calypso had argued for what seemed like ever, the crazy looking demigod had finally let them accompany him. Sort of. It had been more of a challenge. Or at least that was how Leo saw it. "You wouldn't be able to keep up anyways." Ryker had said before striding out of the garage without a backwards glance.

Calypso had watched him go with a look of anger that Leo had not seen since he had crashed and burned into Ogygia, breaking her dinner table. "How fast can Festus go?" She had demanded, turning to face him with a look of determination and a hand on her hip. Leo almost pitied the new demigod.

It was that question that had led them to their current situation. Leo and Calypso sat aside Festus's back as the bronze dragon struggled to keep up with Ryker as he blew through the forest. While Leo was worried about Jason he was even more worried about what it meant that Atlas was loose. It had been several months since he had blown Gaea to smithereens and subsequently come back to life, and he had been enjoying every second with Calypso. It _might_ have been a little selfish for him not to tell the others that he was alive, but hey. They all had a boyfriend or girlfriend. He hadn't. He was entitled to some quality time with Calypso. But the thought of what might have been going down while he was having a blast fixing cars and hanging out with Calypso worried him. And Ryker did not seem like the type of dude who would tell him even if he did know. They had been flying for hours and _hours_ and he had not given a single sign that he was fatigued at all. In fact arguing with Calypso had seemed to tire him out more than running did. Leo did not blame him at all. Calypso was absolutely fantastic in every way, but she _hated_ being proven wrong or arguing over something she thought was stupid.

Festus creaked and clanked and Leo turned his attention down to the ground. Ryker had slowed considerably, only walking now. Leo pulled out a telescope he had built as a curiosity and gazed down to see what it was that the crazy demigod was doing. Ryker had a metal cube in his hand that projected an image of a silver arrow in the air. Ryker glanced in the direction that the arrow pointed, replaced the compass in his bag, and shot off in the direction. Festus groaned as he was forced to speed up again and Calypso's hold around Leo's waist tightened. "So what did you think of him?" Leo asked conversationally. They each wore earpieces fashioned out of celestial bronze and a tiny microphone that could cut out air interference for trips such as this.

"I don't like him." Calypso said. Leo wasn't sure but he thought he heard the evidence of her frowning in her tone. "Why would he turn down our help? And why is he alone?"

"Do you think that I should give Percy an Iris message?" Leo asked. "To see if this guy is actually on a quest? He might be-."

"No, he wasn't lying." Calypso cut him off, shifting her position on Festus's back. Leo made a mental note to add cushioned seats to where they usually sat on the bronze dragon. Metal was rather uncomfortable, it was a literal pain in the butt. Leo had a moment of pride in his equipment as it picked up Calypso's sigh of annoyance in excellent quality. They had better. He could not begin to guess how many times they had shocked him when trying to get them right. "It is very easy to tell when a mortal is lying. He wasn't. And even if you called Percy who knows if he would believe it was you?"

"What, you think there are two Leo's running around?" He asked, smirking at the thought.

"I really hope not."

"The world couldn't handle that much awesomeness."

"Not what I meant." But Leo was sure that she was smiling even as she said it. "Leo, you have been _dead_ for the past several months."

"Thanks, I love being told by my girlfriend that I am dead. Really makes me happy. Really." Leo laughed. "But I get what you are saying. Percy and the others might not believe it's me."

"Exactly." Calypso nodded. "If my father is free, who knows what has been going on in our absence?"

"You'd think that my dad or maybe even Hermes would have dropped us a hint." Leo frowned. "'Hey, the world is going bonkers again. Would be great if you could come back from the dead.' But no."

"They probably just _did_ tell us to come back." Calypso reasoned. "That compass thing that Ryker was using has really powerful magic. They probably sent Ryker to find us, even if he didn't know it."

"So why did he want to kill us?" Leo demanded, glaring down at him. It was impossible, but he was certain that he saw the demigod glance up at the sky and scowl. "I mean, come on, I don't exactly look like a monster. Maybe a monstrously good-looking guy, but not a monster. I wasn't even on fire."

"He did say that you smelled like Atlas." Calypso noted. "Probably because you have been around me so much. If he met my father his reaction is sort of understandable."

"Yeah, but how did he smell that?" Leo frowned as he considered Calypso's cinnamon scent. "Does your dad smell like cinnamon too?"

"I smell like cinnamon?"

"I know that I have said that at least once before."

"You certainly did not."

"Pretty sure I did."

"Regardless, I am sure that my father's scent and my own have some similarities." Calypso said, "Although as to _how_ he picked up on the scent so adeptly I am not quite certain. I have… met many demigods. None of them act like him."

"So, what? Did one of the minor gods finally decide to have a kid?" Leo wondered, glancing back down at the demigod. Again, Ryker glanced up at them as he ran and scowled like he had heard every word of their conversation. "And how long is he planning on running for?"

"I do not know." Calypso, for perhaps the third time since Leo had known her, admitted rather grudgingly. "He must have ran several hundred miles by now and he has not yet shown any signs of growing weary. It is quite possible that the aura surrounding him grants him some form of accelerated speed and endurance."

"Aura?" Leo wondered. "What aura?"

The sound of a snarl below them immediately brought their attention back to the ground. Ryker had stopped running and was glaring up at them with his arms crossed. In front of them was yet another city, San Francisco if Leo wasn't mistaken. He blinked in surprise as he realized the distance that they had traveled in only about sixty hours. Then he shifted in his seat and the groan of his legs told him that he could, in fact, definitely believe that they had been flying for so long. Thank goodness for the invisible servants that constantly followed Calypso around and their ability to make food appear out of nothing. Their food wasn't as good as Calypso's but it was still pretty good. Then again no one was as good as Calypso in Leo's opinion. He might be a little biased though. Festus began to descend on the trees, his wings stirring up the trees and dirt as he touched down. Ryker was _definitely_ scowling. Leo and Calypso leapt off of the bronze dragon's back and gave simultaneous groans of pain and relief as their bones and muscles protested their sudden use. Leo looked to Ryker, expecting some sort of sympathy, and was surprised to see that he was no longer even paying attention to them. He was walking in a slow circle around Festus, studying the dragon with a serious expression. He reached a hand forward and pressed it to the dragon's head. Festus leaned into the touch and Ryker's eyebrows shot up. "He's alive." He stated, glancing to Leo and Calypso as they stretched. "How?"

"Uh, magic?" Leo suggested.

"Magic." Calypso echoed, stretching her back.

"I can sense animals." Ryker murmured, almost to himself. "And yet he isn't one. But I can sense him."

"Yeah, well, welcome to being a demigod where nothing makes sense and you are constantly surprised." Leo told him. "By the way, what's your deal? How can you move like that?"

"Move like what?" Ryker asked.

"You were running like no one's business man."

"It _is_ no one's business how I run." Ryker said, the words clearly intending that such an answer should be obvious.

Leo paused, unsure if he was being made fun of. But Ryker's eyes were hard and devoid of any humor. "No, I mean you were tearing up the forest man."

"I was most certainly not." Ryker growled threateningly.

Leo shot Calypso an Are-you-serious look and then turned his attention back to Ryker. "Okay, you were running really fast. How?"

Ryker didn't answer. He turned his attention back to the city and frowned intensely. Calypso rolled her eyes as she finished stretching and crossed her arms. "So why are we here?" She asked bluntly.

"I don't know why you are here." Ryker said coldly. "I'm here to retrieve Jason Grace."

"Alright, so how do we save Lightning boy?" Leo asked, rubbing his hands together. "He's at Mount Orthys right?"

"Yes." Ryker said shortly. "And 'we' aren't doing anything. I don't need you two to be following me around like a couple of lost pups. It will only make this harder than it is already going to be."

"What do you mean?" Calypso asked, glaring at Ryker's back. "'Harder than it is already going to be'? What do you sense?"

"Something is off about this city." Ryker admitted. "I'm not sure what it is, but something is wrong here. This smell… it's like nothing I have ever encountered. It is certainly not human."

"Well, good thing you got two extra people right?" Leo asked brightly, adjusting his magical tool belt and patting Festus fondly. "And a certifiably awesome-sauce metal dragon that is pretty much indestructible."

"Like I said, neither of you are coming with me." Ryker said coldly, starting his way to the city. He didn't run however, and his hands transformed into claws before Leo's eyes. "Do whatever you please."

Calypso watched him go with a glare before striding over to Leo and slipping an arm around his waist. "Tell Festus to keep an eye on us from the sky." She muttered to him. "You and I are going to follow him."

"I thought he just said _not_ to follow him." Leo said uncertainly. Ryker made him nervous. Nervous like he was about to be attacked at any point. This guy was bad news, but who he was bad news for Leo was not sure. "He doesn't seem like he is someone we should provoke."

"He won't hurt us." Calypso said confidently. "He's wild but he isn't a bad person. He's kind of like a deer. Flighty and easily spooked. The best thing to do is just keep him used to us being around him. Besides, he _did_ say to do whatever we want. Well, I _want_ to go to the city. It's not my fault if our path just happens to follow the exact same route his does, right?"

Leo looked at his girlfriend in awe and respect. "You are a devious little genius, you know that?" He grinned. He smiled further when she leaned in to kiss him.

"Yes, it is one of the reasons why you love me." Calypso said confidently, flipping her long hair over her shoulder. "Now let's go. You have your wrench, right?"

Leo opened a hatch on Festus's back leg he had made and withdrew a large wrench that he had modified and an ornate imperial gold and celestial bronze sword that he had built himself. He placed the wrench across his back with its specially designed holster and gave the sword to Calypso, who quickly belted it into place. He closed the hatch on Festus's leg and patted the dragon. "Alright buddy, get going. Come help us if I call, alright?" Festus creaked and groaned and Leo rolled his eyes. "Yes, we will be careful."

Festus took to the air, leaving them behind. Leo and Calypso turned and hurried after Ryker, quickly catching up to him. He gave a loud sigh when they came along either side of him and matched his pace. In the distance the city loomed imposingly. "What part of don't follow me did you not understand?" Ryker snapped, his claws clanging slightly as he fluttered his fingers.

"We aren't following you." Calypso told him immediately, raising her chin in defiance. Leo absentmindedly found the way she worked around rules was really hot. And he would know hot, combustible as he was. "We're going to the same place. We just chose to take this route as well."

"Choose a different one." Ryker demanded, snarling at them. Leo wanted to leap away, but Calypso's words echoed in his ears and he remained at the angry demigod's side.

"Now come on." Leo said, throwing an arm around Ryker's shoulder. "Don't be like that. We're all friends here, why don't we all just rescue Jason together and then we will leave you alone."

Ryker very slowly turned to look at Leo, his eyes flashing murderously. "If you don't move your arm you aren't going to make it to Jason. That's a promise."


	41. Gina Weiland

"You know, the next time that I see Venus remind me to give her a piece of my mind." Annabeth growled, kicking viciously at an unfortunate bush as they trudged up the side of a mountain where the Amazons were supposedly hiding. "It doesn't matter whether she is in her Greek or Roman form, she always does things on a whim! What about the camp?"

"It sounded like those three are going to be watching over it while we are gone." Frank grunted, pushing aside a low hanging tree branch. Percy glanced back at them, Riptide held before him in case they came across any monsters. "Which is really good. And also really bad."

"What do you mean?" Piper inquired. She was annoyingly fine whilst the rest of them were breathing hard from their trek up and down the mountains' sides in their search. "I can see why it's good, but why is it bad?"

"Because if the gods have taken enough interest to actually _stay_ in the camp, something must have really got them worried." Annabeth interjected, and Frank nodded his agreement.

"Especially since they don't seem to have an idea on what is behind all of this." Frank added darkly, frowning as he dissected the problem in his mind. "We know that whatever is behind it is capable of getting both the Titans and the Giants to work together. Not to mention the rest of the monsters that were seemingly at their beck and call. In their search for their Amazons their little group of five had not yet even discovered a single monsters, which worried Percy immensely. Each one of them were the children of rather powerful gods. Monsters should have picked up on their scents long, _long_ ago and should have been constantly attacking them. Percy would have _preferred_ an attack. It would have been much less worrying than not being attacked. In addition to that, Percy was also worried about his father. If Oceanus had returned and was waging war once again, that was bad news. Oceanus was possibly the only being alive that could take on his dad one-on-one in the ocean and actually hold his own. Percy was not actually sure that Poseidon would be actually able to beat Oceanus if it came to that. Moodily, Percy cut down a tree branch that happened to bar his path and immediately a spear was there. His fighting instincts went into overdrive and he leapt backwards just as a familiar looking warrior stepped out from behind the tree. "Victoria!" He blurted out, recognizing the Amazoness that had evidently made a claim on Ryker. "You're alive!"

"Which is more than you will be able to say in a few minutes if you don't leave." She threatened, leveling the spear at Percy with one arm while she drew out a wickedly curved hunting knife. "Why are you here anyways? How did you know where to find us?"

"Venus, Hera, and Ceres sent us." Hazel said, stepping in front of Percy and pushing Victoria's spear away with one finger. "They want us to bring all of you back with us to camp. The Amazons weren't the only ones to be attacked. Both Camps and a bunch of other places got hit too."

Victoria glanced past Percy and Hazel, frowning. "Where is Ryker?" She demanded. "Is he dead?"

Annabeth snorted and shook her head. "Not likely. From what we were told he is doing just fine."

"He better be." Victoria growled. "We have a date."

Percy glanced to Piper and the daughter of Aphrodite merely smiled slightly. "I'm sure that he won't forget it." She promised. "But for now, could you take us to Hylla? Like we said, we were sent here by goddesses. Otherwise we would _never_ have been able to find you."

Victoria stared at the group for a while and then pointed to the three girls with her spear. "You three can come inside. The two boys will have to stay outside. Not even the husbands who are married to Amazons were allowed to come to this place."

"So what did you do with them?" Frank wondered.

"We left them at home of course." Victoria said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "The ones that survived the attack anyways. Many did not." Victoria looked rather sad and turned around, starting up the mountain.

The Amazon led them to a small plateau on the mountain and Percy had to suppress the urge to slap himself on the forehead. "So much for being well-hidden." Percy muttered to Frank. While the headquarters themselves were built into the side of the mountain, the fluorescent flashing sign was somewhat of a giveaway. "How did we not see this? Seriously."

Evidently Annabeth was thinking along the same lines that Percy was. "I thought you came here to hide." Annabeth asked, gazing up at the sign in surprise. "Don't you think that is sort of obvious?"

"Well, we never miss a chance to advertise." Victoria said, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder. "Who knows when a female might happen across our headquarters and want to make a purchase? We always have to make sure our clients can find us."

"If your clients can find you, your enemies might be able to as well." Hazel pointed out as the girls went inside. Percy didn't get to hear Victoria's answer as the doors hissed shut behind them with a pneumatic hiss leaving the two boys by themselves on the small stone plateau.

"She's… something." Frank said after a moment, no doubt referencing Victoria. "Do you think that she can say hello without threatening your life?"

"Probably not." Percy said, thinking back to Phoebe and her propensity for taking him prisoner. "I just wonder how Ryker is going to handle that."

"Probably badly."

"Probably."

They lapsed into silence as they sat down at the edge of the platform and watched the sun make its track across the sky. "So what do you think is causing all of this?" Percy asked after a while. "Like what is behind all of the attacks."

"For a while I thought it was just Orion causing us trouble." Frank said, his eyes distant as he undoubtedly worked over the problem in his mind. "But now I think that it's something else entirely. If it was just Orion I doubt the gods would be so worried. Whatever it is, it's big. Bigger than Gaea."

"Well there's a happy thought." Percy said gloomily, thinking back to the earth goddess. "Because she was _so_ easy to beat."

"I know, right?" Frank's tone mirrored his own. "And the gods didn't even help with her really. What does that say for this time?"

"Nothing good." Percy stared out at the horizon. "How long do you think that they are going to take?"

"However long it takes to convince Hylla I guess." Frank shrugged uncertainly. "Besides, they probably are going to have to tell her about Reyna too. She was Hylla's sister after all. That can't go over well."

"Nico said that none of the taken demigods have ended up in the Underworld, right?" Percy said with forced optimism. "So that means that we can still save them…. Right?"

"I hope so." Frank muttered, his eyes hard. Percy understood Frank's concern. As a Praetor, and as a person, Frank wanted nothing more than to protect his comrades. For them to be taken so easily, it had to be weighing on the big man.

Percy scooted over and patted him on the back reassuringly. "Come on man, don't be like that." Percy said confidently. "We have the _gods_ fighting with us this time! And both camps have each other's' back."

Frank forced a smile and nodded. "You're right. And Ryker _will_ get Jason back." Frank barked out a laugh. "I feel bad for whatever it is that runs across _his_ path."

A sudden crashing sound from below them had Percy and Frank on their feet in seconds with their weapons ready. The crashing continued for a few more moments before the source was found. Gina Weiland came staggering out of the woods beneath them, her clothes and skin covered in dirt and scratches. Her eyes were filled with relief when she looked up and saw Percy and Frank staring down at her in shock. "Please." She begged, falling to her knees. "Help me."

Percy didn't spare a second thought as he vaulted off the plateau and landed beside her. Frank turned and ran back to the headquarters, barging through the doors and shouting for assistance. "Gina!" He said, placing a hand on her. He immediately withdrew his hand in shock when it came in contact with her flesh. Her skin was _hot_. If she had a fever this bad, she didn't have much time left at all. Percy ripped off his bag and pulled out a thermos of water. He manipulated the water out of the flask and placed it against her forehead in an attempt to bring down her fever. A shadow descended over him and then bodies landed on either side of him.

"Move." One Amazon said, brusquely shoving him aside as she immediately went to work on Gina. She frowned the second her hands touched her and glanced up at her companion. "We need to get her inside. She doesn't even _feel_ right. You! Girl! What happened to you!?"

"We were attacked," Gina managed to say, her face in an expression of terror. An ADHD-ridden part of Percy's mind found it odd that even though she _looked_ terrified, her eyes were calm. "Camp Half-Blood was attacked and a few of us were taken prisoner. He- he said his name was Orion. He made us run and run and _run_ but I managed to escape when he punished one of the others. I've been trying to find help ever since."

"Where did he take the others?" Frank prompted, glancing up at Percy. "Did he say who he was working for?"

"He didn't." Gina bit back another sob. "Aiden asked, but Orion just smacked him for speaking."

"Aiden Bishop?" Percy asked, outraged. "The little kid? What does Orion want with him?!"

"I don't know." Gina sobbed again. "I don't know."

"Gina!" Annabeth cried, joining them at her side just as the Amazons finished assembling a stretcher made out of lightweight metal and some form of fabric that Percy couldn't identify. "What happened?"

"Orion." Percy said bitterly. "Apparently he took more prisoners when Camp Half-Blood was attacked."

Annabeth's face _was_ rage. "Why that stupid…" The next few words gave Percy a new appreciation for her vocabulary. She turned to Percy and said, "The Amazons are going to be ready to leave in a few hours. They want to take as much as they can with them, so they are going to take an inventory first. After that we can get moving."

"Once we get back to camp we're going after him." Percy said with a positively fierce expression. "We can't keep losing our friends like this."

The Amazons placed Gina gently on the stretcher and began to move her up the mountain, ascending the rough terrain with barely a sign of difficulty. Percy, Frank, and Annabeth followed closely after them. Percy and Frank had just gotten to the doors that Frank had broken when two Amazons moved to block their path. "No males." They told them stiffly.

"She's our friend!" Percy spat. "You have to let us in!"

"No males." They repeated in unison, blocking their path with crossed spears and fearsome glares.


	42. Sciron

"So." Leo said after gazing around the city square and frowning. Ryker watched as the son of Hephaestus began to pull random odds and ends from his seemingly endless tool belt and fashion them into some sort of contraption which spun away once Leo let it go. "We are in San Francisco… right? I'm not crazy?"

Ryker could understand his worry though he said nothing in agreeance. His eyes scanned the buildings and streets relentlessly for even a hint of life. His feeling that something was wrong about the city had been correct. Since they had arrived, striding right up the center of the street, they had not yet seen a single mortal. The sounds of the city continued around them, complete with shouts and beeps of car horns, but the sources of the sounds escaped their notice. In fact, the streets and sidewalks were completely bare. Leo had wandered into a donut shop and returned with an armful of baked goods and a confused expression. From what Ryker had noticed, San Francisco was devoid of any life.

"Where is everyone?" Leo wondered, munching on a baked good and offering one to Ryker. When Ryker turned his nose up in disdain Leo merely shrugged and bit into the proffered food. "I thought that we would at least see a monster or two."

Ryker agreed with him again, but did not say anything. The city was still overwhelming his senses with the disembodied sounds and the cacophony of scents, but he found it easier to tune them out when they had no source. He glanced to Calypso and raised an eyebrow. "So, where is this place?" He asked coldly. He did not like her. He did not like Leo either for that matter. Neither one of them seemed to care about his wish to be left alone. In addition it turned out that, unsurprisingly, Leo was a very hands-on person. He had tried to do something called 'rough housing' with Ryker and had been thrown across the street on instinct by Ryker. Far from being scared by the suddenness of the action, Leo had actually _laughed_ and brushed himself off. Calypso was no better. In fact, she might have been worse. She did not seem worried or even _wary_ of him. In fact she appeared to have as much disdain for his tendency to avoid company as he did for them. It was made all the worse that they seemed keen on sticking with him as they traversed the streets, despite his protests.

Calypso took her time with answering. She looked around the city for a few more moments, examined her shirt, smiled at Leo conspiratorially and only _then_ did she say, "We are looking for the tallest building here. Shouldn't be hard to find."

Ryker glanced up at the sky and scowled. The buildings on either side of them were _all_ huge. Their height prevented them from seeing any of the other buildings. "Wish Silver was here." Ryker muttered. He blinked and then frowned. The thought was extremely unlike him. He might wish other people away, but he _never_ wished for company. He scowled at his own thought and pushed it as far away from his mind as he possibly could.

"Who's Silver?" Leo asked brightly, walking hand-in-hand with Calypso. He looked for all the world like someone who was going to a pleasant meal with his girlfriend rather than someone who was about to save his friend's life from a potentially murderous Titan. "Your girlfriend?"

He didn't bother answering, gazing up at something in the sky that had caught his mind. They had just turned a corner and the sky had turned a deep red in a circle surrounding the very top of a _massive_ skyscraper. "That's it." Calypso said a tad unnecessarily. "That's Mount Orthys. But… it seems… different than how I remember it."

"When was the last time you saw it?" Leo said gently. "Three thousand years? Hm. And here I thought that it would still be an actual mountain."

"That's not what I meant." Calypso said, frowning at her boyfriend and drawing a grin from Leo. "Must you make fun at everything?"

"Yes I must." Leo nodded vigorously. "If I don't who will? Ryker? Actually, scratch that. I want to see you make a joke bro."

Ignoring Leo was getting easier and easier as Ryker began to equate his words with mindless noise. Ryker's focus snapped back to the street when movement in his peripheral vision alerted him to something on the sidewalk. He immediately zeroed in on the being and took a step back almost as quickly. She was a beautiful woman, even Ryker had to admit that, but more than that everything about her screamed _power._ Not danger. She continued walking to them without a single hint of a weapon or any sort of hostility. When she was ten steps away Ryker began to retreat one step for every step that she took. The woman rolled her eyes and snapped her finger and suddenly Ryker could no longer move. He snarled and fought to free himself, but it was to no avail. Leo seemed more curious about the woman than actually worried, and Calypso seemed absolutely thrilled. "Grandmother! It has been too long!"

"Ah, Calypso!" The woman exclaimed happily, wrapping her in a hug. She stepped back and held her at arm's length, examining her. "I see you have gotten off of Ogygia! But, dear, what are you wearing? Where is your dress?"

"Jeans seemed to be more practical." Calypso shrugged but she continued to smile. "Besides, it is rather difficult to fight in a dress don't you think?"

The woman nodded and then turned to examine Leo. Her eyes swept over him in a calculating stare before softening. She released Calypso and then wrapped Leo in a very warm hug. "I see you were the hero to save my granddaughter from Ogygia. You have my thanks, Leo Valdez."

"Uh, you are welcome." Leo smiled embarrassedly. "But… uh… who are you?"

"Ah, yes." The woman laughed softly. "Forgive me, I had forgotten. It has been such a long time since I allowed anyone to see me. My name is Rhea."

"R-Rhea as in, 'mother of the gods' Rhea? As in 'wife of Kronos' Rhea?" Leo asked amazedly.

"Ex-wife." The woman corrected with an annoyed flip of her hair. "You have no idea how hard it is to continue a marriage with someone who continually devours your babies."

"Uh, yeah." Leo glanced back at Ryker incredulously but Ryker merely snarled and renewed his efforts to free himself. "I bet."

"Grandmother, you said it yourself, why have you shown yourself after so long?" Calypso asked. "Has something happened?"

"I am afraid that many things are happening child." Rhea said sagely. "Things that have never happened before. I only have chosen to act now because of what could happen. My children are in grave danger, danger such as they have never faced before. Something very dark is at work here, darker than anything I have ever faced in the past."

"Whoa, time out." Leo raised a hand as if in question. "Your children? You mean the gods? Look, I get that the Titans and Giants are out and about but the gods smacked em down a few times now. They got this… right?"

"Were it only so simple." Rhea said sadly. "If it were only the Giants and Titans I would not have shown myself. Though I do not know what is behind their attacks, something very powerful is controlling them like puppets. Even now evil warriors from the past are being resurrected and being forced to fight again."

Leo groaned and put his head in his hands. "Man, we just can't catch a break." He sighed. "First we had to barbecue Gaea and now we have to fight whatever this thing is. Can't we, like, do something else? How about they declare war on monsters. I'd be cool with that."

"So, Grandmother, as I asked before: why are you here?" Calypso inquired.

"To deliver a warning." Rhea said gravely, glancing at Ryker. "A warning and some advice. Inside the building that is now Mount Orthys you will find a resurrected warrior awaiting his chance to kill you. To save Jason Grace you will have to get past him, though it will not be easy. I cannot be certain as to what else you will encounter as you ascend the mountain. Once you find Jason Grace you will need someone to take his place as he holds up the sky. He will not be able to move until such a replacement is found. In addition, his life force will be extremely weak after holding up the sky for so long. The only thing that is keeping him alive right now is the magic that requires someone to always hold up the sky. Were it not for that he would have died long ago."

Ryker gazed back to the doors that led into Mt. Orthys and glared. His head wrenched around when Rhea snapped her fingers again and he blinked when he saw that she was standing right in front of him. Even with her close proximity, he did not sense anything malevolent from her. She felt kind, almost as though violence was something she could not fathom. "My advice is to you specifically." She told him, placing her hands on either side of his face and gazing into his eyes. Ryker did not fight the embrace, and he doubted that he could have escaped even if he had wanted to. " _Foes once friend shall join again._ You must be the bridge that allows them to make that connection. If they do not reconcile their differences you will have no chance of winning this war."

"What does that mean?" Ryker demanded, glaring at her. "Speak plainly. Who are you talking about? And why do I have to be the one that helps them?"

"That is not for me to say." Rhea said, stepping back. "You will be the turning point in this war. You will need to lead the second army. Should you fail to raise that army… victory will be unattainable."

"What army?!" Ryker hissed. "I won't lead a damn thing-." He stopped speaking when Rhea stepped back and vanished. The force that had rooted him in place disappeared and he growled in frustration.

"Things don't sound like they are going to be a walk in the park in there." Leo said, glancing towards the door. "We're going to need a- HEY! RYKER! Where are you going?!"

Ryker was seething with fury. It never failed. _Every. Single. Immortal._ Every one of them seemed eager to spell out his life for him, especially if he did not want them to. His desire to return to his forest and not have to deal with any other god or demigod was at an all-time high. He had just reached the sidewalk in front of Mt. Orthys when Calypso and Leo caught up to him. They ran around him and formed a barrier between him and the doors. "Calm down man." Leo said soothingly, patting the air with his hands. "I get that you are freaked about the whole being told what to do thing, but hey it could be worse right?"

"Move out of my way." Ryker warned in a deadly soft growl. "Now."

"Going in there angry will only get you killed." Calypso said stubbornly. "Either calm yourself or _I_ will calm you."

"You?" Ryker barked out a laugh and fixed her with a manic smile. "You think that you can beat me? Titan or not I will tear you apart."

"Whoa, easy man." Leo protested, reaching for his wrench without thinking about the action. "Why's it always gotta be about fighting with you? Calypso doesn't have to fight you to calm you down."

That threw Ryker for a moment, but he regained his anger in an instant. More accurately, his anger regained its control on him. He was filled with the same clarity as he had been when he had been fighting the dragons for what seemed like ever. His senses had sharpened and sharpened until he had lost himself in them. They had overwhelmed him using his anger as a catalyst, combining with his instinct to survive at whatever cost. "Why would I want to be calm?" Ryker snarled.

He had been about to say more when the glass from the door in front of them shattered outwards. Ryker grabbed them by their shirts and pulled them down as two unknown projectiles whizzed over their heads. Calypso and Leo gave unison shouts of surprise as Ryker pulled them to the ground. "Holy Hephaestus what was that?!" Leo yelped, patting himself down for any signs of injuries and then searching Calypso for signs of injuries.

"Oh. Looks like I missed." A very bored man sighed as he stood in the wreckage of the doors. He held a pistol in each hand, both of them leveled at the trio on the ground. "Pity. I was hoping to wrap this up quickly."

Ryker snarled and lunged at the man, covering the distance in a single bound. His claws went for the man's throat just as Leo shouted, "Sciron?! How?!"

The pistol-wielding man sidestepped Ryker with impossible quickness and aimed one pistol at the demigod's head while keeping the other trained on Leo and Calypso. Just before the pistol fired one clawed hand wrapped around Sciron's wrist, sending the bullet skittering across the floor. Clearly surprised by Ryker's quickness, Sciron seemed taken aback when Ryker stepped closer and placed his face mere inches from his own. "You look familiar." Ryker said with a manic grin, his blood singing through his veins. It was true, Sciron's black hair and green eyes were mirror matches to Percy's. His scent was similar as well, but something sour mixed too much with the smell of the sea.

Sciron's other pistol whipped around impossibly fast and Ryker staggered back as an imperial gold bullet ripped a shallow groove across his shoulder. The son of Cybele was spun to his knees from the impact, blinking at the pain. Clearly expecting Ryker to be frozen with fear at the speed of his attack, Sciron flipped the guns in his hand arrogantly. "New boss sent me here to kill anyone who tries to free this guy." He jerked his head up. "Guess you three are just unlucky. Normally I would just feed you to my sea turtle, but hey, new management wanted me to make sure that you suffered first."

Leo drew his wrench just as Calypso pulled out her sword, clearly intending on charging at Sciron. The bandit smirked and began to level the pistols at them with lackadaisical effort. He had not even fully raised them when Ryker attacked a second time. There was no snarl this time, there was no sound at all. Sciron blinked just as Ryker's claw ripped through his back and out the front of his chest. Ryker pulled his claw free and stepped back, flinging the blood from the attack onto the ground. That was Ryker's first mistake, not continuing the attack. His second mistake was glancing to Leo and Calypso in an uncharacteristic moment of concern for others. It was only the fact that Sciron had not fallen that alerted him to his error. The bandit whirled around, his red bandana that had covered half of his face flying off, and smirked at Ryker even as the gaping wound in his chest began to close. The pistols came up again, but Ryker managed to deflect the shots away from him. Sciron wasn't done there though. His boot came up and he kicked Ryker solidly in the chest, putting some distance between them. "Not bad." Sciron congratulated him, spinning the magic pistols again and reloading them. "Don't think that many people have survived fighting me for as long as you."

Ryker's shoulders began to shake as he fell onto all fours and coiled his legs beneath him. The demigod's eyes had changed again, once more taking on the appearance of a snake's. Ryker's laugh bounced around the building's lobby. His mouth twisted into a smile that bordered on manic and he glanced past Sciron and his pistols to where Leo and Calypso were watching. "He's mine." Ryker growled. "Go get Jason. I'll take care of this one."

Leo and Calypso nodded before running behind Sciron's back to the building's elevator. The bandit sighed and rolled his eyes. He didn't bother to look at the two as he aimed a pistol at them. Sensing his intentions, Ryker sprang forward even faster than before. Sciron's sly grin faltered and then twisted into a grimace as he used his pistols to fend off Ryker's attack, The claws cut grooves into the metal, but the pistols remained in relatively good shape. After a brief exchange of blows Ryker was sent sliding back, his claws digging into the floor to halt his backwards motion. The wild demigod's ribcage was bleeding from two twin grazes along either side of Ryker's body. Sciron seemed to regard Ryker with a new appreciation. Ryker had managed to open up three massive wounds along Sciron's neck but they were closing with alarming speed.

"You just won't die." Ryker said eagerly, already preparing for his next attack.

Sciron was breathing relatively harder, though he was still composed. "I will tell you this only because you are an interesting fellow." The bandit said, reloading his pistols quickly. "I _can_ be killed. Not that it will do you any good."

Ryker laughed again, a cold, manic sound. "Then I will just keep tearing you apart until you can't put yourself back together." He said, his eyes bright with bloodlust.


	43. Saving Jupiter

"JASON!" Leo roared, rushing across the top of the building as soon as the elevator doors dinged open and the top of Mount Orthys became visible. While the building's lobby and elevator had been pristine and grand, the building's roof was at odds with the modern setting. Stones that seemed to be remnants of the original mountain lined the roof and large steps that were seemingly carved into the very stones led to a large platform where the prone body of Jason laid. Leo had just been about to ascend the stairs when Rhea appeared before him, blocking his path. "Move lady!"

"You must not touch him!" Rhea declared, spreading her arms and barring his path. Leo doubted that he could pass by her even without her arms extended. The whole goddess thing was completely unfair. "If you remove the burden from him now he will die before you could even attempt to save him."

"Well if you have a better idea, I'm all ears." Leo said spreading his arms in confusion. "Cause if I don't save him he is _definitely_ gonna die."

" _You_ cannot do anything, son of Hephaestus." Rhea told him almost sadly. "Your power lies in creating great works with your hands. You may be able to build machines that can save lives, but not at this moment."

"Well…?" Leo let the question trail off in confusion and dismay. "What are we supposed to do then? I can't leave him there!"

Sensing his pain, Calypso was at his side and slipping a reassuring arm around his waist. "If Leo cannot help Jason, then who can?" Calypso asked, understanding that Rhea had not passed a death sentence on Jason. Far from it in fact. Her tone of voice had indicated that there was a clear way to save the son of Jupiter, but Leo would not be the one to do it. She opened her mouth to speak again when the sounds of gunshots followed closely by a large crash cut her off.

Rhea glanced towards the elevator as though expecting something and then nodded to Calypso. "The third member of your party. As I said, a son of Hephaestus can build great inventions but saving lives is not their gift."

"So you are saying that dude down there, the guy who acts like fighting for his life is a game, is the one who can _save_ lives?" Leo asked incredulously. "Lady you are nuttier than a fruitcake."

"Let us not argue the merits of someone like your friend." Rhea advised, descending the last few steps. On the platform, Jason groaned and struggled to shift his position. The groan was a piteous, weak sound that tore at Leo's heart. He only managed to restrain himself from trying to get past Rhea again because of what she had said. If Ryker was really Jason's only chance at making it out alive, fine. He had better not let Sciron kill him. "Rather, let us discuss current events."

"What, did you want us to bring you the newspaper?" Leo patted himself down as if in search and then assumed a sorry expression. "Sorry, guess I left the paper in my other jacket."

"Oh, I always have a paper." Rhea said brightly, conjuring up what Leo assumed was the day's newspaper. "I like to do the crosswords whilst I bake. I don't suppose either one of you know a five letter word for an endless void?"

Calypso shrugged while Leo shook his head. "Apologies, grandmother." Calypso said with a small smile. "You said that you wanted to discuss current events? I am assuming that you did not mean the newspaper?"

"You are correct." Rhea said, vanishing the newspaper into thin air. She waved her hand and a table with three plush armchairs appeared. She took her seat at one and gestured for her two guests to occupy the other. "Please, sit. I would rather be comfortable while we wait for your friend."

"Look, lady!" Leo said angrily, drumming a hand on his tool belt. "You might have all the time in the world but Jason don't!"

"Not true, technically." Rhea said, reaching forward and wrapping her hand around what seemed like air. When she brought her hand to her mouth a glass of water had appeared. "As I said before, the magic that binds the one to hold the sky is a strong one. Your friend could hold the sky up for millennia and not age a day. He would certainly die the instant the burden was lifted from him however."

"Whatever!" Leo turned back and made to go back to the elevator. "If I help Ryker pound that Sciron guy to a pulp we can get to saving Jason even faster."

Leo took a step forward and was knocked off his feet and backwards onto an armchair as it zoomed behind him and then placed him at the table. "Dude!" Leo said, outraged.

"Even if you were to go _attempt_ to assist him, you would only get yourself killed." Rhea told him coolly, conjuring a glass of water in front of Calypso and Leo. "And not necessarily by Sciron. I sense a grave hunger in Ryker."

"So we just sit here and wait?" Leo ground his teeth in frustration, but he didn't try to get up. "Fine. What did you want to talk about?"

Sipping her water quietly, Rhea's eyes grew distant. "A great battle is looming ever closer. A battle such as this world has never seen before."

"What battle?" Calypso pressed, her eyes filled with determination. "Against who?"

"It is not my place to say." Rhea shook her head slightly. "I am sure that you will find out soon enough. But that is not what I wanted to discuss. Calypso, your Titan brothers and sisters are being used. Just like the giants. They are not your enemies in this war, despite all that may happen know that. They are being controlled out of fear of being destroyed. Remove that fear and you may have yourself some allies."

"Alright, so you want us to make friends with the people who have been fighting with the gods since forever?" Leo asked, one eyebrow raised as he took a drink of his water. "Doesn't seem like that's a great idea."

"You will most likely meet much resistance." Rhea agreed with a grave nod. "On both sides. Those who are ruled by fear are often hard to persuade. But if you are to win this war you will need all the allies that you can accumulate."

"Didn't you say something earlier about how Ryker needs to build a bridge?" Leo wondered.

"I believe that she said that he must _act_ as a bridge." Calypso said with an eye roll that made Leo's heart do a backflip. "Though that does not shed much light on what you mean."

"When the time comes, Ryker will know what I speak of." Rhea told them. "But you must still make strides to reach out and offer a friendly hand to the Giants and Titans. As I said, those rules by fear are hard to persuade. However, once you win one over the others will be far easier to convince." Another crashing sound from below them made Rhea wince.

"So how do we convince them?" Calypso asked. "If they see that one Titan is on the side of the gods, would that not work?"

"It would," Rhea agreed, clearly understanding where Calypso's thought were heading. "But your time on Ogygia would make such an alliance very weak in their eyes. They would see you as being broken rather than having joined the gods willingly."

"Hold up one second." Leo said, the gears in his mind turning rapidly. "If the Titans and Giants were born to destroy the gods, once we get them on our side nothing can stop us right?"

"Were that only the case." Rhea said, her voice filled with concern. "The Giants and Titans were never able to kill the gods or goddesses they were born to, not because of their inability. They were not able to do what they had been created to do because there is only one creature alive that can kill a god."

"Well, what is it?" Leo demanded. "If we can smack it down before the enemy gets ahold of it we would have a lot less to worry about."

For some reason Leo's words were very amusing to Rhea. She shook her head slightly with a cold smile on her lips. "I am afraid that it is much too late. The enemy already has the creature."

Leo had just opened his mouth to speak when the elevator doors dinged open. The three at the table turned in their seats to see Ryker step out, bleeding from a dozen wounds. He had Sciron by the back of what remained of his tunic and was dragging him behind him as he walked. Ryker's breathed was labored as he approached the table, dumping Sciron unceremoniously on the ground at Rhea's feet. "I win." He announced, his eyes equal parts wild and triumphant.

"So I can see." Rhea said, staring down curiously at the limp form of Sciron. "Is he dead?"

"I doubt it." Ryker said, casually driving a kick into Sciron's ribs. The bandit groaned at the impact but otherwise did not move. Leo only then noticed that Sciron's two flint lock pistols and holsters were slung over Ryker's shoulder. "I tried everything I know to kill him, but he heals almost instantly. I even tore his arms off but they only grew back while the other ones crumbled away."

"You tore his arms off?" Calypso asked, horrified. Leo went green at the thought.

Ryker grinned savagely. "I did so much more than just that. But he just kept healing, so I kept tearing."

"You are sick man," Leo complained, shuddering at Ryker's smile. "You shouldn't like fighting so much. It's just wrong."

"Or maybe you are just too weak." Ryker growled, his smile fading away for his customary scowl.

"And this is the guy who you said can save Jason?" Leo asked Rhea skeptically. "How? Is he going to fight Thanatos when he comes to get Jason's soul?"

"Fighting a god…" Ryker muttered, a small chuckle escaping him. "That sounds like fun."

"I am afraid not." Rhea told Leo, patting his arm sympathetically. "I know that you may not see it right now, but you will undoubtedly grow to rely on him in time. Perhaps you will even grow fond of one another."

"I doubt it." Ryker and Leo said in unison. They glanced at each other, Leo in surprise and Ryker in suspicion.

"What's this about me saving him?" Ryker jerked his head to where Jason was. "I can hear his heartbeat from here. If he survives another five minutes I will be surprised."

"Which is exactly why we waited for you." Calypso told him. "You can save him, right?"

Ryker snorted and shook his head. "No one can save him." He said unconcernedly. "And certainly not me."

"That's not true, and you well know it." Rhea disagreed, rising from her chair and walking up to Ryker. He took a wary step backward and then felt his legs freeze beneath him. Rhea placed a hand against his chest and then pulled it away, a thin golden thread trailing after it. Ryker paled and Leo swore that he saw fear in his eyes. "A curious ability of the children of Cybele. The ability to link your soul with another being."

"Release that!" Ryker snarled even as Rhea ascended the steps with the golden thread still held between her thumb and index finger. "Don't! You can't!"

Not answering, Rhea stopped at the last step and then released the thread. Ryker breathed a sigh of relief before seeing that the thread was not disappearing. It was drifting through the sky to where Jason laid. Ryker howled and struggled desperately against Rhea's magic, but it was for naught. The string connected to Jason's chest and the son of Jupiter gasped like someone had electrocuted him. Ryker gave a gasp and staggered, bracing his knees as though under a heavy weight. Rhea descended the stairs and snapped her fingers. Where Sciron had laid was now Jason. The son of Jupiter gave another moan and managed to push himself up a few inches with his arms. Calypso and Leo were there immediately, helping him into a chair. "Jason! Buddy!" Leo patted his chins lightly in an effort to wake him. "Yo! Lightning Boy! Wake up!"

The golden thread that connected Jason and Ryker seemed to glow brighter and Jason drew in a deep raspy breath. His eyes snapped open and he looked around, pushing his chair back in confusion. "What's going on?!" He demanded.

"Whoa, easy man." Leo said soothingly, dragging the chair back to the table and pouring the contents of a glass of water down Jason's throat. "Just drink. You have been holding up the world for a while now." Leo was extremely relieved by the fact that his friend was already responding. His blonde hair had turned an even lighter shade, almost bone white, but other than that he seemed to be fast-recovering. Faster than he should have been. _This gold thing must be some sort of super-medicine._ Leo thought to himself, glancing over to Ryker.

The thought died in his mind as he beheld his new companion. Ryker was on his knees, his face contorted in a snarl as pain ripped through him. "What… is… this?" He demanded, smacking the stone floor in evident fury. "These thoughts?! Make them stop!"

"Rather curious side effect." Rhea noted, taking her seat at the table and observing the events. "The link that children of Cybele can make with animals allows them to share thoughts and emotions. It can also share life force. Life force is a curious thing you see. It might grow weak, but each human has the exact same amount. Jason's life force was so weak that his body is instinctively trading some of the weaker life force for Ryker's stronger one."

"Alright, so what is Ryker freaking out about then?" Leo asked, somewhat worried about him. Loving to fight or not, he had come through huge. "What thoughts?"

"I imagine that he is being given a first rate look at Jason's true nature. Sharing life force is a precarious thing. I would hazard a guess that those two are having a very good look at the true nature of the other."


	44. Dream

"So, were you planning on ever speaking to us again?" Jason inquired curiously as the group sat in the woods, devouring the food that Calypso's servants had so graciously prepared for them. Ryker sat off to one side in the shadow of a tree, staring murderously into the earth like he had been for the past several hours. In fact ever since leaving Mount Orthys the son of Cybele had not said so much as a single syllable to them. He just stared at the ground with enough intensity that Jason half expected the earth to burst into flames. Jason could understand _exactly_ why Ryker was so angry. It wasn't that he had some heartfelt conversation with the guy, it was that he had actually seen how his mind worked. The fact that Ryker had seen as much of Jason's mind was somewhat reassuring to the son of Jupiter. Ryker had distanced himself so much from others that trusting other was something that was _not_ going to come easy for him. Jason hoped that after seeing that he was no threat to Ryker the wild demigod would at least somewhat become friendlier. But, judging from his anger-filled stare, Jason was beginning to doubt that such a thing would ever come to pass. It wasn't that Ryker _couldn't_ trust but more along of the lines of he simply did not want to.

As per the course, Ryker did not say a word in response. He did not even look up from the spot he was staring at so intensely. "Well, more for us then." Leo said cheerfully, tearing into another piece of bread. Jason watched him eat with mixed emotions. On the one hand, he was absurdly glad that his friend was back. Leo was back! Immense relief came with the knowledge, but so did anger and a sense of betrayal. Jason and the others had mourned Leo for weeks after the day they thought he had died. Leo had actually told Jason that he _did_ in fact die, but the Physician's cure had brought him back. After springing Calypso from Ogygia Leo had evidently gone on vacation rather than telling his friends he was alive and combustible. Jason winced internally when he thought of what Hazel and Piper were going to do to Leo when they found out he had been effectively on vacation for the past several months. If Jason wasn't mistaken the idea of taking turns strangling Leo had been brought up in conversation.

In addition to Leo's apparent resurrection, it came with the fact that he was now dating a Titan of all things. After Jason had recovered enough for Rhea to allow Ryker to cut the thread that connected them Calypso had introduced herself. She seemed nice enough, and Jason could tell that Leo was head over heels for her. Actually it looked to Jason like every time Calypso touched Leo he wasn't far from bursting into flames. It was a rather odd change to see Leo not making jokes at everything. He still made a crazy amount of jokes, but not nearly as much as he had made in the past. If there was such a thing as a soul mate, Calypso might very well have been Leo's. She also seemed to have absolute zero wariness of Ryker, something that Jason was astounded by.

"So where to from here?" Leo inquired between mouthfuls. "Which camp?"

"I would say Camp Jupiter." Jason said hesitantly, glancing up at the night sky in case the gods had other ideas. He had asked Ryker about the state of both camps, but had been met with a glare and silence. Not exactly helpful. "The others will want to know that you are alive and besides, it's closer. Shouldn't take us too long, right?"

"Not with ol' Festus to give us a lift." Leo said proudly, patting the dragon on the wing where it lay beside them. Festus creaked in response and Leo laughed at whatever the bronze dragon said. He glanced back at Ryker and called, "You planning on running some more?"

They waited an appropriate amount of time for Ryker to answer before turning their attention back to the campfire Leo had started. "So things aren't going very well." Jason sighed and shook his head. "Even before I got grabbed by Orion things were starting to get bad. If the gods are starting to show up we have even bigger issues than I thought."

"Sure is nice to actually have some backup now though." Leo said fairly. "Usually they just stick us with the fighting and take all the glory or whatever for themselves."

"But now their change of heart seems to come at a grave time." Calypso reasoned, staring into the fireplace.

"Thanks Sunshine," Leo sighed. He received an elbow in his ribs for the comment but he grinned nonetheless. "You always know just what to say to make us all happier."

"I try." Calypso smiled back. Her smile faltered when she glanced back to Ryker. "Were that only the case though."

Jason followed her gaze and shrugged. "We can't do anything for him." He told them frankly. Leo seemed surprised by his callous judgement and Jason patted his chest where the thread had connected them. "That life force swap thing kinda let me see what makes him tick. We could talk to him all night and he would ignore everything we said."

"Nice guy." Leo muttered.

"Not nice." Jason corrected. "Just… not mean."

"So what's the plan Lightning Boy?" Leo asked finally, placing an arm around Calypso's shoulders. "Want to leave right now or did you want to get some sleep?"

"Sleep sounds fantastic." Jason admitted with a rueful smile. He was exhausted, more so than he had ever been before. Holding up the sky does that to you though. He glanced expectantly at Festus and then back to Leo. "I don't suppose that you have a sleeping bag stored somewhere in there?" he asked hopefully.

Leo smiled apologetically and gave a good-natured wince. "Sorry buddy, didn't exactly have much time to plan for this trip."

"Guess it's the ground for us-." Jason began. He was cut off when something solid hit him in the head and knocked him onto his butt. He recovered his balance and stared down at the backpack that had collided with his head and was now resting on his lap. Jason opened the bag and withdrew a familiar looking sheet of silver fabric. He examined it for a long moment, trying to remember where he had seen it before, and then realized that it was the same one that the Hunters of Artemis used. It was a really freaking big tent! Jason was not sure where Ryker had even gotten such an item, but he did not care. The thought of spending a night in an actual bed after being crushed by the sky was almost enough to bring a tear to his eye. He looked up to thank Ryker but the words died on his lips. Ryker was, as impossible as it seemed, staring at the ground with even _more_ intensity. Perhaps it was just Jason seeing things, but he thought that there might have been a hint of confusion mixed in with his anger now.

Jason quickly set up the massive tent with a flourish. Leo and Calypso gave shouts of excitement and immediately disappeared inside. Jason was right on their heels before pausing at the entrance. Festus had laid his head on the ground and was evidently powered down judging from the way that the dragon was absolutely still. Ryker had not moved so much as an inch from where he had been sitting. "Uh, did you, uh, did you wanna come inside?" Jason offered hesitantly. "You don't have to stay out here you know. Probably nicer in here. Warmer too."

He did not get an answer, Jason hadn't really expected one, but Ryker's hands tightened into fists until his knuckles were white and shaking. Even in the dim light given by the fire Jason could see the tension rippling through Ryker. He did not press the matter, kicking dirt on the fire and then disappearing inside the tent. Leo and Calypso had claimed one room as their own and Jason took a room as far from them as he possibly could. He collapsed onto the soft mattress, not bothering to remove his shoes, and fell asleep almost immediately.

Jason hated dreams. They were more often than not more trouble than they were worth, especially being a demigod. But even as exhausted as he was, he still dreamed. He was standing on a battlefield, a bolt of lightning in one hand and his sword in the other. The campers of Camp Half-Blood were standing behind him with the Roman Legion beside them. Frank stood in front of them, nodding grimly to Jason as he sounded the call to march. Percy was on Jason's other side, his eyes set with determination. Jason gazed out before them to what appeared to be a decimated forest with what few trees were left lying on their side, smoking. Stumps littered the field, though they were scarce more than a few inches above the ground. Past the trees and stumps stood a _massive_ army, but it was not like an army Jason had seen before. It was an ever shifting darkness that would occasionally give form to a monster before it would be absorbed back into the dark mass. The roman Legion marched forward, spears leveled at the darkness as they marched. Percy shouted for the Greeks to march forward and as the son of Poseidon moved past Jason he heard Percy mutter the words, "For Annabeth."

 **I apologize for the length of this chapter, but I did not want to delve into the next chapter too quickly. Thank you all so much for reading and your continued reviews. They mean the world to me, truly they do. Until next time!**

 **Cheers, Hallowed**


	45. Unknown

"Oh come on!" Leo shouted as Festus swerved to one side to avoid a ballista as it went zipping by them. " _Every time!_ Seriously! And why are there forklifts with spears on them?!"

Festus cranked and creaked as he continually evaded the flaming ballista spears that were fired at him in rapid succession. Jason leapt off of Festus's back and harnessed the wind around him, flying towards the camp as fast as he could. The Romans, and what looked like Amazons of all things, were forming up and brandishing various weapons. Jason was certain that he saw a line of archers sighting at him, which did not exactly reassure him. A figure streaked from the forest, making a beeline directly for the ballista and the subsequent defenders of said weapon. "Oh no." Jason moaned as he watched Ryker descend on the crew with cold efficiency. He appreciated the assist, but Jason doubted that the people Ryker was fighting were quite as thankful.

Landing on the ground behind the ballista, Jason immediately put up his hands as a sign that he did not want to fight. He was surrounded by Amazon warriors, more than a few of whom were sporting bruises and cuts from their encounter with Ryker. "Whoa, easy now." Jason said when a particularly angry looking Amazon strode forward and leveled her spear at him. "It's me! Jason! Jason Grace!"

"What are you doing?!" A very angry and very familiar demigod demanded, pushing through the ranks. Jason's heart eased immensely when Piper came into focus and wrapped him in a tight hug. "It's Jason! Hylla, this is _Jason!_ "

"Very well." Hylla said, lowering her spear rather slowly. "But what of the dragon?"

Piper stepped back and glared up at the dragon. It was at that moment that Jason knew that Piper knew _exactly_ who was sitting on Festus's back. At least, she knew one of the people. _Leo, buddy, you might want to stay in the air._ Jason thought with a wince.

Evidently Leo had not developed mind-reading capabilities in his time away as Fests landed on the outskirts of the camp. Percy, Annabeth, Frank, Hazel, and Will showed up a few minutes later. All of them were staring at the bronze dragon with mixed expressions of fury and hope. The difference in the emotions made their faces quite the spectacle. Leo helped Calypso off of Festus's back and seemed to steel his shoulders before turning back around with a grin on his face. "Told you I would come back." Leo said as Calypso took his hand in hers. Percy evidently recognized the Titan and was glancing back and forth between the two warily. Calypso obviously recognized Percy as well. The two sides walked towards one another and stopped when they were a few feet apart.

"Talk about awkward." Jason muttered, glancing back and forth between Calypso and Percy. According to what he knew the Titan used to be in _love_ with the son of Poseidon but Percy had broken her heart due to his need to leave her island.

"You are _alive_?!" Hazel shouted finally, striding across the distance between them and shoving Leo hard on the shoulder. "And you didn't tell us?! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT WAS LIKE?! TO THINK THAT YOU DIED?!"

"Technically I did die." Leo said in a weak defense. "Physician's Cure, remember?"

"The Physician's Cure was supposed to be given as soon as possible." Frank recalled, his eyes hard. If Leo had expected some sort of relief from the Praetor, he was sorely mistaken. "Which means that you have still been alive for these past couple months. Right?"

"Yes." Leo muttered. He glanced hopefully to Calypso but she shook her head. Jason read her message as clear as day. _This is your problem._ "Look, I knew that I had taken Gaea out. I deserved a little bit of time… right?"

"And you couldn't have taken that time _after_ you told us you were alive?" Annabeth hissed. "'Hey guys, I'm alive! No need to worry about me!' Did that not occur to you?"

Leo was at a loss for words. He raised his hands helplessly, searching for something to say in his defense. He had told Jason previously that he was hoping that the others would be so happy that he had returned that they would forget all about their anger. Apparently Leo had been mistaken, and very badly at that. A tense silence stretched between them before being broken by Will of all people. The son of Apollo stepped forward and offered his hand to Leo with a small smile. "I'm pissed at you for being alive this whole time and not telling us." Will told him seriously. "But welcome back man!"

That did it. The others swarmed Leo and, while they assured him that they were all furious with him, tears were still shed in relief of their friend returning from the dead. Piper held true to her word and shook Leo like a leaf for scaring her so much, an action that was immediately mimicked by Annabeth and Frank. Leo seemed to be nearly overwhelmed by the attention, but he was obviously enjoying it as well. Jason was next in line. The others turned their relief on him and professed their relief for his safe return. "How did you save him?" Percy asked Leo curiously. "Who's holding up the sky now? Don't tell me you managed to get Atlas back?"

"Nope, our old friend Sciron is." Leo told them. He suddenly frowned and then began looking here and there. "By the way, where is Ryker? He's the one who took down Sciron and sprung Jason."

"Ryker took on Sciron?" Frank sighed. "Why am I not surprised? Wait, how was Sciron back? I thought you guys fed him to a turtle."

"We did." Jason nodded.

"I used the Mist to think we had fallen." Hazel added. "He was definitely turtle food though. If he's back… does that mean Gaea is too?"

"I doubt that very much." Juno strode up to their group with a delighted smile on her face. Jason disliked her all the more for the expression of happiness. She was the goddess he liked least of all, meddlesome as she was. "Leo Valdez, you were very effective in ensuring that Gaea shall not rise again for several centuries at a minimum."

"Ah, well, I know how to make an impact." Leo said, glaring at Juno. Evidently Jason's dislike of the goddess was mirrored by the others as well. Only Calypso and Hazel seemed unbothered by the goddess. "What do you want?"

"Merely to see how you are faring after being away for so long." Juno said easily, crossing her arms and regarding him. "I suppose that you are faring well, all things considered. As for your bout with Sciron, I am certain that Gaea is not behind it. However it is good to know that we may be facing old foes as well. Your time away was very informative Jason Grace."

"I'm glad I could help." Jason growled in a way that was most unlike him. Even Piper seemed a bit surprised by his answer.

Juno left them be after that, much to everyone's delight. They began to walk back towards Frank's tent, passing Gina on the way. The daughter of Hygeia was walking alongside Ceres, though as to where Jason did not have an idea. Ceres seemed rather curious about the girl, while Gina was the picture of happiness. When they had gathered around Frank's table, or on the table in Leo' case, they began to catch each other up on what had been happening. "So how did Orion grab you?" Percy asked when the conversation turned to Jason.

"I was flying over a bridge on Tempest when Orion shot him." Jason's expression turned dark when he thought back to how his friend had crumbled away due to the black and red arrow between his ribs. "After I caught myself Orion threw a huge net over me and hit me on the head. The next thing I know, I'm being told to take the weight of the sky from Atlas."

"But I thought that you had to willingly take the weight?" Frank asked, his hands clasped before him as he listened intently.

"You do." Jason said quietly. He glanced to Piper and sighed before answering. "They said that if I didn't take the weight they would kill me and grab Piper. They had already grabbed so many demigods… I didn't want to risk it."

Piper slipped her arm through his and he smiled at her. She frowned back at him, undoubtedly angry that he had sacrificed his well-being for her. Again. But she would have done the same for him, so it didn't really matter."

"How did you manage to make Sciron take the weight?" Annabeth asked. "He's still mortal so he should have had to agree to take it. Right?"

"I doubt he could have agreed to anything." Leo said with a shudder, the memory of Ryker's words making him turn rather green. "Ryker… he…"

"He beat him down pretty hard." Calypso supplied for him. When Leo turned on her in surprise she smiled slightly. "I have been around you enough to know what you would say."

"Great, now there's two of them." Percy muttered. "So if Sciron couldn't agree then how…?"

"Rhea." Jason said simply. "The mother of the gods. She showed up and helped us out. She even helped Ryker save my life."

"So Rhea showed up?" Annabeth seemed to process this. "If she helped us, things might be worse than we thought. And they are already pretty bad."

"What is it with you guys and positive thinking?" Leo wondered. "Seriously. Let's look at it like we just got a crazy strong new ally. Anyways, so what about you guys? How did you get the Amazons here? And was that Gina we passed earlier?"

"Long story, and yes it was." Percy answered. "We were getting the Amazons to come back when we found her. Apparently Orion had taken her and Aiden but she managed to escape."

"What did you just say?" Everyone in the room jumped, unaware that Ryker had entered the tent. Jason turned to see him staring at Percy intensely. "What about Aiden? And what about Gina"

"That Orion grabbed him?" Percy said slowly. "And that Gina was grabbed by Orion during a battle with Camp Half-Blood."

"That's funny." Ryker growled, whirling around and summoning his claws. "Because Aiden Bishop died before Atlas showed up and attacked Camp Half-Blood. And Gina was taken the same night that Aiden died."

"What are you saying?" Frank demanded, rising from his seat.

"That I am going to go kill whoever this imposter is." Ryker swept out of the tent without another word.


	46. Victoria

He wasn't sure where Gina, or whatever the monster that was impersonating her was called, had gotten off to. Moreover he wanted to know why a high and mighty goddess had not figured out that the demigod that was _right next to her_ was not a demigod at all. The thought gave him pause, something that was extremely unlike him, and he momentarily doubted his judgement. Ryker shook off the momentary indecision and fell back on the instincts and senses that had served him well for years. They roared in his mind that he was correct, that Gina was not in fact Gina. He had just begun to comb the camp when someone grabbed him from behind and yanked him off balance. "I thought I told you to come get your claws back?" Victoria whispered in a rather husky tone. She shoved him away and watched as Ryker stumbled away and quickly regained his balance. "Or did you think that _those_ claws would suit you well enough from now on?"

"You!" Ryker barked, recognizing the Amazoness that had stolen his clawed gloves from him as an apparent prize. He glowered at her, temporarily forgetting all about Gina in favor of the challenger that stood before him, and scowled. "What do you want?"

"I thought I made that very clear the last time that we met." Victoria said, smirking. She reached into the pockets of her leather jacket and withdrew Ryker's gloves from their depth. She held them up for his inspection and then hid them away in her pocket again. "I told you to come get them from me. Or are you too scared to try?"

"What did you just say?" Ryker hissed, his position slightly shifting into a ready stance out of sheer force of habit. Challengers had to be met head on. He growled at her and Victoria's smirk widened into an arrogant smile. "Are you sure you know what you are doing, challenging me?"

"I don't think you are that much of a challenge." Victoria sneered, rolling her eyes and further infuriating Ryker.

Unable to take much more antagonism from the Amazon, Ryker lunged at her and summoned his claws in the same instant. He had crossed the distance between them and was less than six inches away from her throat when Victoria snapped her fingers and Ryker's hands were jerked down to the earth. Temporarily at a loss for what just happened he tried to keep his attack going but his hands would not move from where they were pressed to the ground. Victoria laughed softly in the face of his glare and pointed down at his hands. "You aren't going anywhere unless I say so." She told him, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder carelessly. Ryker looked down at his hands and his lip twitched into a snarl. His claws had vanished and the metal bands that encircled his wrists, the ones given to him by the Amazons themselves, were now glowing brightly. He tried to move his hands again, but the metal merely glowed brighter and refused to budge. "I thought that I should give myself all the advantages I can have with you." Victoria said, a very smug smile on her face.

"Let me go." Ryker warned. He hated being trapped. He hated being trapped, he hated being trapped almost as much as he hated losing. This girl had effectively beaten and trapped him with one trapped gift. The Romans gave them curious glances as they passed whilst the Amazons beamed at Victoria in pride. A few even congratulated her on her accomplishment. "Let me go _now._ "

"No, I don't think so." Victoria said after a moment's contemplation. "Not until you ask nicely."

"Not a chance." Ryker said immediately, recognizing the request for what it was. Submission. By giving into her request he was effectively giving her power over him and that was unacceptable.

"Suit yourself." Victoria said with a careless shrug. She put a hand on her hip and smiled pleasantly down at him. "I can wait for as long as it takes. Besides, those gloves are tailored specifically to _my_ specifications. No one else can release you."

"You aren't going to win here." Ryker snarled at her, pulling at his hands again. Unsurprisingly they showed zero movement.

Victoria smiled and rolled her eyes at his declaration. She crouched down next to him and placed one hand under his chin. Ryker was forced to raise his eyes to hers and she smirked down at him. "I _always_ win. But you'll learn that soon enough."

"Let me go." Ryker repeated, glaring at her with a fair amount of malevolence.

"Ask nicely." Victoria repeated just as sweetly.

This went back and forth for several minutes until Victoria gave an exasperated sigh. "You can argue with me as much as you want, but you aren't getting up until you ask me _nicely._ "

"Please let me up." Ryker snarled, growing tired of the exchange.

"I said nicely." Victoria said, wagging her finger at him. " _That_ was not nice. Say it like you mean it."

Ryker thought long and hard about tearing his hands off just to spite the woman. She seemed to be thinking along the same lines he was and laughed at him. "What is it with you?" Ryker demanded finally. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I can." She murmured to him. "Because you are _very_ interesting to me."

"Find someone else to be interested in." Ryker muttered, unhappy with her reasoning. She merely smiled at him in response. Ryker roared internally, struggling with the problem before him for a long while. "Please let me go." He muttered through gritted teeth.

Victoria leaned in and stared at him innocently. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you, can you say that again?" She asked.

"Will you _please_ let me up?" Ryker asked again, his voice shaking with the effort of suppressing a snarl.

"Now was that so hard?" Victoria asked sweetly, standing up and taking several steps back. She snapped her fingers again and Ryker was free to move.

He shot to his feet and immediately tried to pull the metal bands from his wrists. The bands would not move however and Victoria laughed softly. Ryker snarled at her and stalked away, not wishing to be near her any longer. The few Romans who had stopped to watch the event parted to let Ryker pass, snickering. "He's the big bad demigod who everyone is afraid of?" One of them scoffed. "He isn't so tough."

"Who said that?" Ryker demanded, whirling around and glaring at all of them. Every one of them save one looked away, suddenly nervous. The one who didn't look away was looking at Ryker with derision and contempt.

"I did." He said carelessly, leaning on his spear. "Gonna do something about it? Maybe I should go have a talk with your little Amazon girlfriend. She seems to have a _hold_ on you."

In a very uncharacteristic moment of self-control, Ryker took a deep breath and said, "Just walk away." He warned the arrogant man. "Walk away and I won't have to break you."

The man laughed and pulled the head of his spear out of the ground. He leveled it casually at Ryker and smirked. "Oh, please. You aren't that scary. I'm a son of Mars."

Ryker stared at the sky and sighed. Such hesitation when faced with a foe were unlike him in the extreme. He blamed the link that Rhea had facilitated between him and Jason. He felt the eyes of others on him as the Roman continued to goad him, though Ryker had stopped listening to the words. "Fine." He said finally, glaring at the arrogant demigod. "Let me remind you of just why you should be afraid of me."

The man's smile faltered and Ryker was upon him before he could recover it. The son of Cybele dismantled the son of Ares' defense in less than a minute and left the man broken and bleeding on the dirt as he strode away. Strangely he felt none of the normal satisfaction that usually came with successfully defeating a challenger. The other Romans shouted for help as they went to their wounded comrade's aid, none of them brave enough to try to stop Ryker. "It's just as well." He decided, pushing down the indecision he felt in his heart. He continued his search for Gina, combing through the camp with a hunter's precision. It didn't take long. She was sitting in the Senate along with Ceres and a goddess that Ryker did not recognize. The three were smiling and laughing even as they sat and ate something that Ryker did not bother to identify. He summoned his claws and rolled his shoulders in preparation for what he was about to do.

"RYKER!" Jason roared as the man prepared to spring at Gina. He crashed into the wild demigod's shoulder and sent them both tumbling into the dirt. Ryker recovered first and crashed a fist into Jason's lower ribcage with all the power he could put behind the attack.

The son of Jupiter took the blow with a wince and used it and the wind to propel him to his feet. He pulled his sword from his scabbard and held it readily before him. "Calm down man!" He told him. "If that wasn't Gina don't you think that the gods would have noticed?"

"What's this?" Ceres asked, striding between them and folding her arms across her chest. She looked between them and then to their weapons, raising one eyebrow. "What seems to be the cause of this confrontation?"

"That girl there isn't what you think she is." Ryker said harshly, scowling. His element of surprise was lost and the others seemed to have no idea of the danger a hidden predator presented. Especially one as well positioned as Gina was. "Her story doesn't add up. The people she said were with her when she was captured were dead long before."

"So you think that I am mistaken?" Ceres asked coldly.

"Absolutely." Ryker glowered back at her, not backing down an inch.

"And what about me?" The goddess that Ryker could not identify asked, standing in front of Gina protectively. "Greek or Roman, do you think that I would not be able to tell if this girl was not my daughter?"

"That is Sirona." Ceres explained to Ryker, frowning at him. "The Roman form of Hygeia, Gina's mother. Do you truly think that she would fail to recognize her own daughter?"

"Evidently, yes." Ryker growled. Now that he was closer to Gina he could clearly identify her scent. It was definitely _not_ the scent of the Gina he had known. It was not even close. Everything about her smelled wrong, like death. "Because that girl is not the one you know."

Ryker opened his mouth to speak again when he glanced at Gina and saw _something_ in her hand. In the span of a second time seemed to slow. Something formless and dark seemed to be seeping out of Gina's hand, and her face had contorted into a cruel smile. Sirona had her back turned to what she thought was her daughter as she came to her defense. Ryker watched as Gina drew her hand back and prepared to attack the goddess. His first instinct was to allow the death to happen, to let them see how foolish they had been. But something else inside him told him that such a course of action would only lead to pain in others, and for some reason that pain bothered him. Even though it shouldn't have. Ryker snarled just as Gina's hand began to move forward and ripped one of Sciron's pistols from its holster. He had not practiced with them, not even slightly, but he had a strange feeling that there was something magical in the pistol's sighting mechanism. He moved impossibly fast, too fast for even the goddesses to react. He fired the pistol at Gina, a momentary feeling of satisfaction in his chest when her head rocked back from the impact of the Celestial Bronze bullet. That feeling of satisfaction was cut short when she stopped her backwards momentum and continued her attack, shrieking as she attacked Sirona.


	47. Stump

Things happened faster than anyone could believe. The Celestial Bronze bullet seemed to have as much effect on Gina as a mosquito running into a wall would have. She recovered with impossible quickness and continued her assault against Sirona before the goddess could so much as turn around. Ryker ripped the second pistol from its holster and fired at Gina again. She didn't even seem affected by the bullet as it ripped through her collarbone and emerged from the other side. In fact she healed almost instantly from the wound. Sirona turned on the spot, but not quickly enough. Gina was upon her with her formless, shadowy hand going for the goddess's chest. Ryker was there before the attack could be completed. He grabbed Sirona by the wrist and unceremoniously yanked her away by the back of her dress. Using his other hand he met Gina's attack head on, his claws connecting solidly with her weapon. An odd, and fairly unpleasant, sensation ran up his arm the second that the claws touched her and he was sent skidding back. Before he had even stopped moving a horn rang out over the Roman camp, the one that signaled an impending monster attack. "We're being attacked!" Frank shouted, indecision ringing in his voice where authority should have been.

"Leave her to me." Ryker told them roughly. He glanced down at the hand that he had used to attack her and scowled. The claw was crumbling away into dust, the metal rusting at an impossible speed. Even as he watched the remnants of the claw fell off his hand and fell to the ground. He slowly turned his gaze back to Gina even as the others turned away and ran to meet the oncoming monster horde. Only Sirona stayed behind, her eyes filled with shock and betrayal directed at her daughter.

"Who are you?" Sirona demanded angrily. "You are not my daughter."

"Oh, but I am dear _mother._ " Gina grinned at the goddess even as Ryker began to advance on her.

 _Whatever it is that she has on her hand is dangerous._ Ryker thought even as they circled one another. Her eyes were filled with amusement and contempt in equal parts, almost as though she thought him beneath her. Perhaps she did. The declawed arm was beginning to shake slightly, something that worried him immensely. Gina feinted towards him and Ryker took an immediate step backward. She smirked at him and heaved a sigh.

"I had heard that you were quite the fighter." She told him frankly. "And yet here you are, too scared to as much as attack. I guess they were nothing but rumors."

"Kill her." Sirona ordered, her eyes hard. "Whatever that is, it is not my daughter."

"Easier said than done." Ryker snarled back, his eyes darting to the hand that had destroyed one of his claws. The black formless weapon formed and reformed countless times and yet each reformation seemed even deadlier than the last. It was a dark, twisted, unnatural weapon. It scared Ryker.

He blinked and curled his unarmed hand into a fist. Fear? Him? How long had it been since he had felt that emotion? Had he not fought for years to kill off that feeling inside him? Fear was the enemy. Fear was hunger. Fear was cold. Fear was _death._ And yet there it was. The same cold uncertainty he had felt only briefly in Python's dragon-filled chamber.

He felt something hungry stir inside of him, something he had only felt once before. Some ancient feeling of hunger that Ryker felt begin to overcome his senses, sharpening and enhancing them far beyond their natural limit. The temporary fear that had gripped him was long gone with the emergence of this new power. Gina seemed to see the change in him and took a hesitant step back. Ryker was moving before her foot had even hit the ground. She slashed at him with her formless weapon but Ryker ducked the attack with a low growl. He grabbed her armed hand by the wrist with his declawed arm just as his remaining claw came down on the soft flesh of her forearm. The Gina-imposter did not cry out, but instead put distance between her and Ryker.

"I can see that the rumors are-." She began. Her words were abruptly stopped when Ryker attacked again, his hands a blur.

Just as before, Ryker's control of his movements seemed odd. He attacked with deadly precision but it was almost as if his body was following commands that he had yet to give. Like he was fighting with nothing but sheer instinct. Keeping the small of control over his body was absurdly difficult, even more so since he did not want his movements to grow sluggish. He had beaten Sciron, but _she_ was armed with some sort of weapon that had some ability he could not identify. Coming to a decision, Ryker gave up his last bit of control and dove headfirst into the sea of instinct which quickly swallowed him.

Vague sensations and flashes of images were the only thing that reached him from his separated state, but they were enough. The image of a mangled and torn Gina on the ground before him was followed by a line of horned centaurs rushing at him with swords raised. The scene dissolved the second that the first centaur crumbled away at his fingertips, minus one arm.

Victoria could scarce believe the sheer carnage that was being wrought before her eyes. Ryker had seemingly appeared out of thin air and had thrown himself at the enemy forces without a second's hesitation. The leader of the enemy forces, Atlas, immediately spied Ryker and moved to meet him in battle. The Titan drew his massive sword and kicked aside anything that got between him, monster and demigod alike. She shouted out a warning to Ryker but he didn't seem to hear her, or he chose to ignore it. She decapitated a lamia and sidestepped an ogre's club with ease and cut the legs out from under the monster. The other Amazons quickly finished off the beast and it granted them a slight reprieve from the fighting. The monsters had appeared out of the earth like they had before, but this time they had been pushed back by the sheer might of the Romans and the Amazons fighting alongside one another. That's not to say it was easy, wounded and worse demigods and legacies were strewn about the battlefield. But the monsters' formation and ranks had been devastated and now only the remnants of the army remained, though they did not flee as was typical of monsters. In fact they seemed even more desperate than before, taking even greater risks.

An angry shout from Atlas pulled her gaze towards the other end of the arena. Atlas was bleeding from a dozen rapidly healing wounds and the Titan was in a rage as he continually missed his target. Ryker fought on all fours as much as he did on two legs and that odd fighting style made it nigh on impossible for Atlas to actually connect with his sword. Victoria smiled as she watched the demigod who had captured her interest drive one clawed arm into Atlas's leg and rip out a chunk of ichor-dripping flesh. Enough of the monsters' numbers had been destroyed so that others could watch the spectacle of Titan versus demigod. A few of the bolder Romans and Amazons stepped forward to assist Ryker but Percy leapt in front of them and threw out his arms defensively. "Stay back!" He ordered them, his eyes locked on Ryker even as the demigod leapt onto Atlas's shoulder and raked his claws across the Titan's eyes.

"Why?" Victoria demanded, marching up to Percy and glaring at him.

"Because right now he's just as likely to attack you as Atlas." Percy said, not even bothering to look at her. His eyes were still locked on the battle taking place before them. "The last time he was like this he tried to attack us too. We need Piper, she got him out of this trance thing."

"I'll handle it." Victoria said immediately, shooting down the Piper option. "Leave him to me once this finishes up."

"No offense, but unless you have some-." Percy looked at her finally and shrank back from the look she was giving him. She tapped the hilt of her sword menacingly and he held up his hands defensively. "Alright, alright. You can try I guess. Actually, that reminds me. You aren't going to try to put Ryker in a collar, are you?"

"Of course." Victoria said, the question surprising her. "All Amazon men are required to wear them."

"You know he is never going to wear that, right?" Percy asked her slowly. He took an unconscious step forward when it looked like Atlas had managed to grab Ryker, but relaxed when the demigod emerged unscathed.

"He wore the wrist bands." Victoria said loftily.

"We had to convince him that chewing his wrist to get them off was a bad idea." Percy informed her. "He was really angry when they didn't come off."

"Well, these things take time." Victoria shrugged. "After a while he will get used to it. All Amazon men do after all."

"Don't you think that changing him might make you lose interest in him?" Annabeth asked curiously.

"I am counting on him not changing." Victoria told them. She paused and smiled slightly. "At least, not too much. It would be nice if he smiled more often. And if he actually showed some interest in me."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I doubt he has any interest in you." Percy said delicately. Victoria glared at him and he took a step back.

"Percy's right." Annabeth agreed. "Ryker doesn't really… he has the emotional range of a teaspoon."

"I wouldn't say that." Jason said, sidling over to them. "He feels other emotions too, he just is _really_ good at hiding them."

"And how would you know that?" Victoria demanded, very interested in this new development.

"That's a long story." Jason admitted. "Let's just say that we had a heart-to-heart. Literally."

Atlas gave another howl of rage and Ryker growled back, a terrible sound that was more beast than human. Coated in ichor, Ryker was a sight to behold. The aura that had been around him at first, the one that had contained the forms of dozens of beasts, had seemingly disappeared but Ryker did not seem to be affected. In fact he seemed to have gotten even faster, and perhaps even more savage. Ryker's clawed hand raked along Atlas's shoulder and he was flung to one side by the Titan, landing lightly on his feet. Victoria, Jason, Percy, Annabeth, and the entire Roman and Amazon ranks took in a sharp breath as they got a clear look at Ryker as he slowly circled Atlas. The aura had settled over his flesh like a second skin, a beast's. A thin layer of fur covered Ryker's arms and legs and the hand that had previously been unarmed now had long claws protruding outwards. Atlas seemed to be having some difficulty breathing, though as to whether that was due to Ryker shoving a hand through his ribcage or because of actual tiredness was anyone's guess. A hole in the earth opened up behind the Titan and Atlas escaped without a word.

Without an opponent, Ryker slowly turned on the Amazon and Roman armies. His lip twitched into a snarl even as he fell onto all fours, preparing for an attack. "If you have an idea, you better do something." Percy warned Victoria, readying Riptide. "Because if whatever you are going to try doesn't work, we are in serious trouble. I don't want to have to kill Ryker and I'm not sure where Piper is right now."

Victoria nodded and began walking towards the feral demigod. Taking the advance as an attack, Ryker lunged at her. She snapped her fingers and the remaining claw she had given him smacked into the earth, effectively stopping his attack. "Can't have you trying to kill me." She crooned mockingly, walking in a small circle around him. He pulled against the restraint, but it did no good. He slashed at her with his free hand but she was just outside his reach. Now that she had a closer look she could see the various wounds Atlas had managed to inflict on him. None were particularly life-threatening, the worst being what appeared to be several cracked ribs piercing through the flesh of his chest, but they would definitely need treatment. "Now, are you going to ask nicely for me to release you?" Victoria asked frankly, stepping out of his reach once more.

He didn't answer, not unless roaring at her was considered a viable response. She continued to question him for several more minutes but he did not answer any of her questions to her satisfaction. She turned away from him and shrugged. "I guess it didn't work."

The assembled fighters laughed nervously, slightly unnerved by the sight of Ryker so easily brought to heel. "We'll get someone to find Piper-!" Percy's voice faltered and his eyes widened. "LOOK OUT!"

But Victoria was already turning before Percy even spoke his warning. She was face-to-face with Ryker, who had evidently discovered a way to escape his bindings. His eyes bore no sign of recognition for her, nor any sign of the usual distrust she had grown used to seeing. The only thing there was the hunger of a predator who had just found its prey. She managed to leap back as he cut at her with his aura-infused claw and avoid the blow. He did not pursue her, which immediately worried her, instead he backed up a few paces. He was breathing much harder and Victoria's eyes widened as she beheld his right arm. _"We had to convince him that chewing his wrist to get them off was a bad idea."_ Percy's word rang in her ears when she saw the bleeding stump where Ryker's right hand had once been.


	48. Results

Pain, exhaustion, and… loss? Ryker wasn't sure which feeling was the strongest in him when he regained consciousness. He was standing alone on what he assumed was once a battlefield judging by the various craters and broken weapons that littered the ground. Standing several yards away, watching him warily, were dozens of demigods. Piper and Calypso stood at the front, their weapons drawn. The Amazon who had shackled him with the metal bands was there as well, standing beside Percy, Jason, Annabeth, and the others.

The pain in his body seemed to be increasing with every passing second, culminating in a bundle of searing agony in his right hand. He straightened from the crouch he had been in and took a staggering step backwards. His breath came in ragged gasps, sweat dripping from every inch of his body. His right hand seemed particularly sweaty for some reason, he could feel sweat simply pour off of it. He raised the hand in question to wipe off his forehead and stopped short, something catching his eye on the ground. It was a hand, a very familiar one. A bronze metal band encircled the hand's wrist. Tremoring slightly, Ryker brought his gaze very slowly down to his right hand. A cry of utter despair that felt as if it had been ripped from his very soul poured from Ryker's mouth and he fell to his knees, his other hand gripping his bloody stump. "My hand!" He screamed, unable to comprehend what his eyes showed him. "My hand!"

Someone ran up to him, and Ryker immediately hunched himself over his wounded arm. He growled, a long low sound that he ripped out of his throat. He rose his eyes to meet the person who had ran up to him, Will Solace, and glared at him. "Stay back!" Ryker warned.

Will did not respond with words. Instead he put two fingers in his mouth and let loose an even worse whistle than before, effectively overwhelming an already tired and injured Ryker. His eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed on his side. "Stretchers!" The son of Apollo shouted back at the demigods, all of whom had watched with wide eyes as Ryker had mourned the loss of his hand. "Now! And bring nectar and ambrosia!"

"What can we do?" Percy asked, rushing forward with the others and Victoria at his side. For once the Amazoness looked genuinely worried about Ryker, her eyes filled with concern. "Can you, like, sew his hand back on?"

"I doubt it." Will shook his head and grabbed Ryker's handless arm. He examined the stump for a long moment, his medically trained eyes darting back and forth. After what seemed like an eternity, when it was actually a few seconds, Will ripped off the remains of Ryker's shirt and tied it tightly around the stump and shook his head. "Whatever that aura thing is must have slight regenerative properties to let him fight longer. The stump has already healed just enough for the worst of the blood loss to be stopped. If the wound was still fresh I might, and that is _might_ , be able to reattach it. But with the healing that went on, it's impossible."

"So what do we do?" Victoria asked, crouching by Ryker's head.

"Elevate his feet." Will ordered no one in particular as he began to address the various broken ribs. "And where in Hades is my stretcher?!"

The last that Percy saw of Ryker for quite a while was Will hurrying alongside a team of sons and daughters of various healing gods as they rushed the son of Cybele to the medical building. "Think he'll be alright?" Piper asked.

Their group had been quickly commandeered by the medical team to assist other demigods who had been injured in the battle. Thankfully very few had been seriously injured and of those only two were in critical condition. Everyone else had been treated with relative ease and told to rest. It went on for hours, helping the wounded demigods. Several extra teams of guards had been posted outside on the outskirts of the camp on the off chance that a second wave of monsters was dispatched against the camp. They had just finished their task and were heading towards the mess hall when Leo stopped abruptly, his eyes going to the Senate building. The others followed his line of sight and they too were at a loss for words. The Senate building had been virtually demolished, several of the stone pillars that ringed the building were lying on their side. "This is where Gina was, right?"

"Or whatever it was that was impersonating her." Annabeth said darkly, walking cautiously into the Senate.

The others followed her, scanning the surroundings for any sign of the fake demigod. Unsurprisingly there was none, but several streaks of blood lined the walls. It was evident where Ryker had been, claw marks often marred the otherwise smooth stone. Some placed seemed to have rotten or crumbled away, which was clearly the work of the strange weapon that Gina had been using. Percy winced when he saw a demigod sized crater in the stone seating of the Senate. Whichever combatant had landed there had undoubtedly been caused a great amount of pain. They stood in the center of the Senate, gazing around at the destruction that Ryker and Gina had wrought in their battle. There was scarcely a spot that was not touched in some way whether it be claw marks, blood, or a rotten spot. "So where is Gina anyways?" Leo asked finally.

"I sense magic here…." Calypso said uncertainly, glancing to Leo in question. "Two kinds. One seems old, older than me. The other seems… unclear. Indistinct. Like someone started a spell and never finished it. That's dangerous."

"Why is that?" Annabeth asked curiously. Percy suppressed his desire to roll his eyes. Even in this situation Annabeth's natural curiosity was insatiable.

"Because unfinished magic is, well, raw." Calypso made an indistinct gesture with her hand. "It's volatile, dangerous. If left untouched for too long it could cause catastrophic damage."

"And there's an unfinished spell here?" Hazel wondered, casting a wary look around.

"No, no," Calypso said quickly. "Nothing more than the echoes of magic remain here."

"So, back to my original non-magic-related question, where the heck is Gina?" Leo demanded. "It looks like beast boy put down some serious hurt on her, so where is she? Did she do that whole tunnel thing Atlas did?"

"No, rest assured the fake demigod you are referencing did not simply walk away." Juno said gravely, striding into the Senate with all the confidence that only a goddess can have. "Your rabid friend made quite certain of that fact. Had I not sent him to the battlefield he would have made her of no use to us."

"She's of use to us?" Jason asked, frowning. "And what do you mean Ryker would have made her of no use?"

"Of course she is of use to us." Juno said stiffly. "The amount of information we can gain from her about our unknown enemy is endless."

"So she's alive?" Hazel frowned and glanced around at the carnage. "After this?"

"'Alive' is a bit excessive." Juno said slowly. "Barely existing would be a better phrase to use. Your friend tore out her heart. She should, by all rights, be dead. But the magic that keeps her alive is strong. If there are more like her we may very well have our hands full."

"So they are immortal?" Leo asked with a groan. "Great."

"Not immortal." Juno shook her head slightly, the thought obviously disgusting her. "From what little we have managed to learn about the imposter thus far we have determined that at least. They can die, but we are not certain how as of yet. By tearing out her heart Ryker very succinctly put an end to her. It seems that they can regenerate limbs but vital organs are a different matter entirely."

"Can we not talk about tearing out hearts?" Piper was a slight shade of green. "Can you help Ryker?"

"Even if I could I would not." Juno said, turning on her heel and walking away.

"Whoa, hold the phone!" Leo ran around Juno and stood in front of her, boldly crossing his arms. "You can't just let him throw down with this _thing_ who tried to kill one of your goddess pals, let him lose a hand, and then say 'too bad so sad'. That's not how that works! You are a goddess, magic him a new hand!"

"Do not speak on things you do not understand!" Juno hissed, trying to move past Leo. Jason was there this time, glaring at her. "Stand aside!"

"Not until you help Ryker!" Jason was firm, his eyes blazing with as much power as the lightning he so freely commanded.

"I cannot help him!" Juno snapped, growing angrier by the second.

"Why the hell not?" Annabeth asked, her voice every bit as enraged as Juno's. "He's helped us more than once!"

"Because your friend should not be!" Juno exploded. "He is an unknown entity to the gods! Until recently he was not even known to be alive by us! Even the Fates did not know of him! Why would I help a demigod who could be the cause of _more_ trouble? Now stand aside before I _force_ you to."

Leo and Jason did move aside, albeit reluctantly, and Juno swept out of the Senate without another backward look. "Well, what now?" Hazel asked, sighing.

"I'm still hungry." Leo said meekly, drawing long faces from the others. "Hey! A guy's gotta eat."

"I'm hungry too," Annabeth agreed glumly, none too happy about the fact. "Let's get something to eat, we can discuss things there. Maybe someone saw the fight between Ryker and Gina and can tell us how…. This happened." Annabeth gestured airily with one hand at the Senate.

When they got to the meal hall they quickly picked up on the somber mood. _Two huge monster attack in the same month will do that._ Percy thought wisely to himself, taking a seat at the Fifth Cohort's Table. The others sat on either side of him or across from him. Even Frank took a break from his Praetor duties to partake of a quick bite to eat. "Well, we didn't lose anyone." Frank said wearily. "I just spoke with the healers. Everyone is going to pull through. A few of them will have to retire from the Legion early, but that's it. It's probably for the best, but I don't want to have to break the news to them. They are both daughters of Mars. They are going to hate being pulled out of this."

"If it's for the best, they'll understand." Hazel assured him, patting his arm with a smile.

"It means that we will be down two more soldiers." Frank sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. The pressure of being a Praetor was huge, and even heavier with the events taking place, but Frank had taken the majority of it on his shoulders. Annabeth helped out as much as she could but, being a Greek, her potential helpfulness was rather limited. Evidently the Romans, even in the midst of a conflict, did not want to give too much power to someone who could potentially destroy them from within. Even if it was really unlikely. "If this keeps up I might have to ask a few of the more recently retired legionnaires if they wouldn't mind joining again. I'm sure that a few of them will jump at the chance to serve. That might help."

"Are you that low on numbers?" Jason asked worriedly.

"No, but it helps being prepared." Frank shrugged. "If the gods showed up, I want to make sure that we have enough bodies for whatever comes our way."

"Bodies." Leo repeated, making a grim face. "Nice way to put it."

"You know what he meant." Hazel said, immediately coming to Frank's defense. "That's not fair to say."

"It was a joke, it was a joke." Leo grumbled into his food.

"A joke?" Will asked tiredly, sitting down at the table with a thud. His eyes were ringed with exhaustion. "Please. Share. I need a good laugh right now. I just finished surgery on that demigod who had a lamia spray poison onto his face."

"Is he going to be alright?" Percy asked, wincing at the thought.

"Yeah, most of it got onto his scalp. He probably will have to do the whole bald look for… the rest of his life. But he will make a full recovery."

"Well, that's good to hear." Frank said in relief. "He's a son of Ceres. I don't want to have to personally tell her that one of her children was killed. That wouldn't end well for me I think."

"What about Ryker?" Annabeth asked, handing Will a pot of what looked like coffee.

"I set his broken ribs and dressed all of his wounds." Will said after taking a deep drink of the coffee directly from the pot. He glared at the others to say something but, wisely, none of them did. "His hand is the real issue, but I have a nectar-soaked wrapping on it. It should prevent infection. Right now I am more worried about Victoria."

"The Amazon?" Percy raised an eyebrow. "Did she get hurt too?"

"No, but she has yet to leave his side." Will shrugged again and finished off the pot of caffeinated liquid. "She came into his room right after I finished treating him and hasn't left since. She just keeps staring at the floor and then at his stump."


	49. Changing Sides

He had successfully escaped. It hadn't been that hard. No one would have expected a crippled demigod to do anything but sit meekly in his bed and wait to be cared for. But that wasn't Ryker, it would _never_ be him. He had slipped out of the back of the tent, taking with him a few vials of nectar and the clothes on his back. It had been painfully easy to make his way out of camp. He had waited until the dead of night and slipped past the sentries without them even knowing he had moved past them.

He was done, completely and utterly. He had never wanted to be a part of this stupid war that Artemis had dragged him into, and look what it had gotten him. He was broken. He would never fire a bow again, he would never be the hunter he had been. Every day's survival would be a struggle. He would have to find some other way to hunt, if at all he even survived. Fighting monsters would become almost impossible. He would have to turn tail and run more often than he would be able to fight. That in of itself was…. Unacceptable. Will and the other doctors had told him that he had ripped off his hand after Victoria had imprisoned him against the ground. He believed it. Any animal's instinct when trapped was to escape at any cost. He was no different. Escape was survival. Survival was everything. But that escape had come at a great cost for him. His life. For that he hated Victoria. He hated every single one of the demigods who had pulled him from his forest. He had done everything he had been asked, more so in fact, and what did he have to show for it? A missing hand and time lost in caring for the woods he so loved.

He didn't bother running, didn't bother even checking where he was going. Moving away from Camp Jupiter was the only thing that he cared about. Everything else was secondary. The creatures of the night sensed his eagerness to escape and did not disturb him in his flight, and for that he was grateful. He occasionally borrowed the eyes of an owl to get a better view of the area in front of him, ensuring that he was remaining well within the confines of the forest. He did not want to be anywhere near a city or anything that held other people. He did not want to be near other demigods in particular. If one came across his path… Ryker was not sure what he would do. He was seething with fury and hatred, both of them warring for superiority in his mind. Neither was willing to give ground however, and the combination of the two made it exceedingly difficult to keep moving. He wanted nothing more than to go back and show them the same fate he had met. To be crippled for the rest of his life. That sort of justice suited the Code of the Wild perfectly. An eye for an eye. A hand for a hand. Balance in all things, even in revenge.

His mounting anger proved to be greater than he had expected and Ryker eventually did something unlike him. He punched a tree with his remaining hand, his face drawn and tight with the signs of his rage. " _They_ did this to me." He growled, his teeth gritted. "This is their fault. They brought me into this, this is their fault."

"Yes, that seems like a good stance to take on the matter." Orion chuckled as he appeared out of the earth in front of Ryker, his glowing red eyes giving away his position in the gloom. Ryker immediately backed up several steps and brought up his remaining hand defensively. He hid his stump behind his back and glared at Orion. The Giant laughed and shook his head. "Don't worry, surprisingly I'm not here to fight you this time. I'm not even here to capture you."

Ryker heard no deception in Orion's words, surprisingly, and slowly straightened out of his crouch though he remained tense. "What do you want then?" He challenged, eyes narrowing even further.

"To offer you a chance." Orion said easily, leaning on his massive black bow. "A second chance, actually. A better deal so to speak."

"A better deal?" Ryker repeated cautiously.

"You have to know that the gods won't allow you to walk away." Orion reasoned, gazing up at the moon. "You are too unknown, and that scares them. They are going to want to bring you back and lock you down like a beast in a cage. But you already saw how they work. How's the arm? Still a bit sore from having to rip off your own hand?"

Ryker snarled but he slowly pulled his handless arm from behind his back. If Orion already knew of the injury then hiding it would do him no good. "So what are you saying?" Ryker demanded. "That you can hide me? Make all my problems go away?"

"Oh, no." Orion laughed again and rolled his glowing red eyes. "No, I'm not that nice and neither is the guy who sent me here to ask offer you his deal. No, if you want to make your problems go away you will have to do that on your own. But that's sort of why we are offering you this deal."

"What deal?" Ryker demanded. "Explain."

"Right to the point?" Orion nodded. "I respect that. No beating around the bush. Alright here it is. You want to go back to your forest, right? Fine. We have no problem with that. The gods do though. They won't let you live in peace like you want. So here's the deal: You fight for us, you help us take down the gods and you go back to your forest. No questions asked. We won't bother you and you can live in peace."

"Just like that?" Ryker asked suspiciously. "What use do you have for a crippled hunter? My prey would have no issue escaping from me."

"Oh did I forget to mention this?" Orion wondered, pulling a glove from his pocket and tossing it on the ground before Ryker. The demigod glance at Orion in confusion and glared at the glove suspiciously. "Don't worry, it's not a trap. But you can tell that."

Ryker picked up the glove slowly and stared back uncomprehendingly at Orion. It was a right-handed glove, but he had no right hand. The material of the glove felt odd as well, almost like the glove was _alive._ The material was like nothing that Ryker had ever felt before, and it was nearly invisible in the night even with Ryker's excellent dark vision. "What is it?" He asked finally turning over the glove in his hand.

"Call it a gesture of goodwill." Orion suggested. "Put it on. You'll see."

Ryker pulled the end of the glove over his stump and gave a soft sound of surprise. The glove sank into the flesh of his stump and Ryker's arm felt like it had been shocked. Even as he watched the glove resolved itself into the exact shape his hand had been, turning into a dark replica of the original. To Ryker's amazement his new fingers responded to his commands and he could even _feel_. He clapped his hands together and smiled slightly as his new hand tingled gently from the impact. He tested the limits for several more minutes, and he turned to Orion when he was satisfied. The Giant had been examining an arrow, running a finger over the flat surface of the arrow, and looked up when he saw Ryker had finished his tests. "Happy?"

"Satisfied." Ryker corrected. In truth he was overjoyed by the replacement hand. It was precisely like his old one had been, perhaps even better. It responded perfectly and it seemed _powerful._ Powerful in a way that he could not figure out. Like the hand's purpose was far more important than simply replacing his lost one. "So this deal. You want me to fight with you, against the gods right?"

"Pretty much." Orion nodded. "And once our boss is happy, you are free to go back to your forest and no one will bother you. He will swear on the River Styx if you would like."

"How long?" Ryker demanded. "How long until I can go back to my forest?"

"That depends on how long it takes for us to overthrow the gods." Orion answered easily, smirking. "I guess if you want to go back sooner, then you should probably move with a purpose."

"What do you want me to do?" Ryker asked, coming very quickly to a decision. If it meant going back to his forest, he would do anything. He crushed down any lingering feelings of loyalty he might have been developing towards the others and let the anger out a bit more.

Orion smiled, recognizing Ryker's rage and hatred. "You will be helping me capture demigods." The Giant answered, straightening and pulling his bow over one shoulder. "But first you are going to need some weapons in case we are caught. The gods have been making things difficult. But with two of us they don't stand a chance. Oh. And one more thing. That Blessing of Artemis that you have around you? You are going to need to get rid of that."

Ryker gazed down at his new hand and then looked back to Orion with cold eyes. "How?" He asked simply. The question was short, but it spoke volumes about what he was prepared to do. He would do anything that he needed to do in order to return to his life of solitude. Anything.

"Simple." Orion said with a smile. "Kill a Hunter."

"Done." Ryker let a slow smile spread across his face. "I have just the one in mind."

"Careful now." Orion warned. "Artemis is very protective of her hunters. If she senses any sort of malevolence from you she will put an end to it in a heartbeat and your chance at the forest will be gone."

"Don't worry about me." Ryker told him, his voice as cold as his eyes. "They won't see me coming. I'm going to need a bow."


	50. First Assignment

She was bandaging Thalia's forearm which had been burned by a basilisk when the wolves began to howl. It was not a howl of warning, but one that they reserved for hunter after returning from an expedition. One wolf in particular seemed especially happy, prancing back and forth across the ground like a puppy. "What's with them?" Thalia wondered. She thanked Jude for the medical assistance and pulled her shirt back on, sweeping out of the medical tent without a backwards glance. Jude cleaned up the remnants of some bandages and, after disposing of them, followed the Lieutenant outside, curious to see what had caused the wolves to behave as such. The other Hunters seemed similarly curious, emerging from the tents they had set up on the edge of Camp Half-Blood to investigate. The wolves seemed to be waiting for something, or someone, with very little patience. They paced back and forth, a whine escaping from them as they looked out to the trees.

Jude waited for what she considered to be an understandable amount of time before returning inside the tent. She had been patching up Hunters and, to her eternal displeasure, campers all morning after yet another monster attack. This one hadn't been as bad as the others, Atlas hadn't even shown up, but there had still been an abundance of injuries. The Apollo cabin had provided the majority of the care for the wounded but most of the Hunters had turned to Jude. She had been treating and healing the Hunters for well over four hundred years after all. Her medical knowledge was substantial, and she truly had a gift for the art of healing. She had never lost a patient in all her years, something she was very proud of. That's not to say there were some, one in particular, whom she almost wished that she hadn't had to heal. But she had healed him nonetheless, ignoring the bad feeling she had gotten from the second she had placed her hands on him. In addition to being able to feel the various injuries that someone was suffering from she could also feel their direct emotions. She could _feel_ through the façade that people put up to hide their emotions, even one as deep as his. Ryker had felt such _anger_ at being forced into the Hunt, fury like Jude hadn't felt in a very long time. A deep-seated rage that could very easily boil over into hatred if left untouched. Hatred like Orion bore towards them. But she had tried to look past that anger to the goodness inside him. It hadn't been hard, Ryker wasn't a bad person like Orion was. He simply wanted to be left alone. The wolves had picked up on his real nature as well, greatly enjoying his presence. In fact, if Jude didn't know better, she would have said that such an enthusiastic welcome from the wolves would have only been for either Ryker or Artemis.

She sighed and folded up the blanket she had let Thalia lie on while she was treating the Lieutenant. Jude turned around and was startled into dropping the blanket. Leaning against the cabinet that held all of her medical supplies was Ryker. He had his arms crossed and a contemplative look on his face, which was odd for the usually scowling demigod. Jude blinked and then assumed her blank expression that she wore whenever he was around. "Why are you here?" She asked in a bland voice. "I thought you were at Camp Jupiter."

"I was." Ryker agreed, staring at the ground. "But I left. They took something from me, something I won't be able to get back. Not the original anyways."

"If you came in here to have someone listen to a sob story, keep looking." Jude said coolly. "I don't care. Maybe you should try the wolves. They seem to be the only ones who actually want you around here."

"Which is exactly why I don't want to speak to them." Ryker looked up at Jude now and she immediately knew that something was wrong. She had seen the look in Ryker's eyes before but not from Ryker. She had seen it in Orion's demonically glowing red eyes as he attacked the camp and tried to kill them. They were eyes without remorse, eyes that seemed to find reason in killing. Perhaps even pleasure. "Because I actually _like_ them. You? Not so much? _You,_ you are expendable. Vital to the Hunters and yet so weak. You aren't a fighter. You are prey."

"What do you want?" Jude knew that she should scream for help, knew that she was going to die, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She simply couldn't fathom the idea that her life was about to be ended by the same demigod whom she had saved from dying. It didn't seem fair, it didn't seem right. Ryker had a conscience, he _knew_ how wrong such an action was, so why was he looking at her now like he couldn't care less? Angry, misguided, raised in solitude, all of that aside he was a _good_ person. Her mind racing with ideas, desperate ideas aimed at furthering her survival, Jude began to speak. "What do you think you are doing?"

"Making my own choice for the first time since you and your friends brought me into this war." Ryker said after seemingly thinking about his answer for a moment.

"What choice-?" Jude began to ask, but her words were cut short when Ryker's hand punched into her chest and exited through her back. She stared down at his arm even as blood began to trickle out of her mouth. Strangely she could not taste it, could not even move her lips or tongue to form a word. She sagged forward, impaling herself further on his arm. Ryker supported her weight for a moment before pulling his hand free and stepping back. Jude tried to make her legs move, to stop her fall, but she fell despite her efforts. She did not feel the floor's impact but she knew she had landed from how closely the carpet now was to her face. Blood dripped onto the carpet in front of her, her blood, presumably from Ryker's claws.

Even as the world began to darken and her vision began to dim she saw Ryker crouch next to her head. He turned her onto her back and stared down at her, his eyes showing real pain for the first time since she had known him. Pain, and resolve. The resolve to walk down a road that Jude was certain would end up destroying him. _Why am I worrying about him now?_ She found herself thinking crossly. _He just killed me!_

"For what it's worth, you should have let me die." Ryker told her honestly, wiping her blood off of his claws and onto her silver shirt. "But you didn't. And for that I am grateful. You probably won't believe me, but I wish it hadn't come to this. Truly. It would have been so much easier if you had just let me go back to my forest. If nothing else, know that you brought this upon yourself. Not me."

Ryker watched Jude bleed out, watched as the light left her eyes. Once she had passed he reached forward and closed her eyes with two fingers. His last words to her had been cruel, perhaps unreasonably so, but they had been necessary. He felt that they needed to be said, even if the person who they had been said to was on the verge of death. He slowly got to his feet and stared at the arm he had thrust through Jude's heart. Her blood had burned his skin like a fire, like the Blessing of Artemis had been outraged that he had killed one of those who shared the Blessing. Undoubtedly Artemis would be there soon to figure out what had killed one of her Hunters. Ryker heard the wolves outside begin to snarl and scratch, moving ever closer to the tent he was now alone with Jude's body in. They undoubtedly smelled her blood, the smell probably causing them great unease. The Hunters would pick up on that tension very quickly and would be investigating the source soon enough. Ryker reached into the quiver he had over one shoulder and pulled out the largest of the arrows he had in there, the one which was too large for even his bow. One of Orion's. With a look of grim determination, Ryker thrust the arrow through Jude's chest where he had hit cut through her with his claw. The arrow was embedded into the floor under Jude's back and left there. The Hunters would immediately blame Orion and Ryker would not be even thought of. Or at least that was the theory. His claws were fairly recognizable and anyone with any sort of experience would immediately see that the arrow had not caused the gaping hole in the Hunter's chest. But that was a risk Ryker was willing to take. Even if they realized that Orion had not been the killer Ryker would already be long gone and without the blessing of Artemis, they would not be able to find him nearly as easily as they had before. Especially since now he would be the one hunting them.

He turned on his heel and slipped out the back of the tent, melting into the trees in seconds. He laughed softly when the sounds of agony and outrage rang through the trees in a scream. "ORION!" Thalia raged, her voice easily traveling through the forest. The wolves echoed Thalia's outrage in their howls and Ryker was certain that they would begin to search for the Giant immediately. They would want revenge, but they would never be able to catch him to exact said vengeance.

Though Ryker showed no outward signs of it, killing Jude had truly pained him. He did not want to kill her, she did not deserve to die after all, but more than that she had not had the chance to fight back. Perhaps if he had given her the chance to scream for help…. But no, that would have defeated the purpose of the assassination. Ryker shrugged off the momentary weakness with a growl and began to move quicker through the woods, putting distance between him and the Hunters.

He ran for perhaps a dozen miles before Orion appeared before him, emerging from the earth as he always did. The Giant waited for Ryker to come to a halt before him and raised an eyebrow in question. "One Hunter is dead." Ryker said. Even to him the words sounded hollow, as if he lacked the conviction the act had taken.

"Just one?" Orion seemed disappointed. "I was hoping that you would kill a few more than just the one you needed to. But, that's just me. Good job though, the Blessing of Artemis is gone. You are free."

"What do you need me to do now?" Ryker asked, running a finger across the smooth metal of the bow Orion had given him. It was a smaller version of the Giant's, standing about six feet tall. Orion's was nearly eight feet tall, exactly as tall as the Giant himself. "Did you want me to try to get rid of some of the other blessings I might have on me?"

"Oh, no." The Giant chuckled. "The man in charge has a different plan for you next. We have someone we need you to kill."

"Who?" Ryker asked, forcing resolve into his voice.

"His name is Grover, he's-."

"A satyr, I know him." Ryker remembered the Satyr from when he had confronted him over smelling like Pan. "So he's my next target?"

Orion nodded. "Him, and whoever else you think is in your way. We aren't really choosy about who you kill. The more the merrier actually."

"What, you don't want me to help you kidnap the demigods?" Ryker asked, one eyebrow raised. "I thought that's why you wanted me to join your little cause."

"I wouldn't say 'little'. Overthrowing Olympus isn't exactly a small task you know." Orion remarked dryly. "As for kidnapping the demigods, sorry. You don't need to know what we are doing with them. Don't take this the wrong way but we don't trust you that much. Just kill who we tell you to kill and don't ask too many questions. Before you know it you will be back to your little forest."


	51. Pillars of Flame

The shrouded body of Clarisse LaRue was lifted onto the funeral pyre and two coins were placed over her eyes before fire was set to the wood. Nico watched over the proceedings and gave the proper rites that the daughter of Ares deserved. The God of War stood off to one side, his eyes showing actual pain in them over the loss of his beloved child. The god's wrath when the body of Clarisse had been discovered had been something to behold. Nico had been surprised, he hadn't expected the god of war and battle to show such emotion over the loss of a child. But Ares had wept over her body nonetheless, vowing vengeance on the one who had killed her. It had taken time for the other gods to calm him down enough for the demigods to wrap Clarisse in a shroud of Ares.

"It wouldn't have been nearly as hard on him had she fallen in battle." Chiron said quietly from where he stood next to Nico, his eyes on the burning pyre. "To be killed in the dead of night with no chance to defend herself is of the most grievous insults one can pay to a child of Ares."

"Not that Orion particularly cares." Nico said darkly, the black and red arrow that had pierced Clarisse's heart at the forefront of his thoughts. "Apparently just taking demigods isn't good enough for them now."

"Which means that they are preparing for their next step in this war." Artemis said gravely, two wolves at her side as she walked up to Chiron and Nico. "This is a dark development indeed."

"At least we know what they are doing with the demigods they took." Nico noted. They had received an Iris message from Jason detailing everything that had transpired with Gina's impostor and Ryker's injury and subsequent kidnapping. Each camp had drawn up a list of demigods that had been taken by Orion and distributed them to the other on the off chance that they would try to infiltrate the camps once more. As of yet it appeared that Gina's intrusion was the only attempt the enemy had made. It also looked like Gina's failure had motivated Orion to capture or kill demigods with equal zeal. "If they try anything like that again at least we will be ready."

"As ready as we can be." Chiron corrected. He glanced to Artemis. "How are your Hunters holding up after losing one of their own?"

"They are, understandably, angry." Artemis said. "Jude had been part of the Hunt for longer than many of them and they regarded her as a sister-like figure. Her death has made them hungry for revenge. Keeping them here to defend Camp Half-Blood has frustrated them. They want to go hunt Orion, just as he has hunted them."

"Their continued presence here is extremely reassuring to the campers." Mr. D offered, appearing out of thin air beside Artemis. "Not that I particularly care mind you."

"Of course not." Nico said sarcastically. He shot Dionysus a glare which the god ignored with a disdain that showed years of practice. "So what should we do? If Orion is starting to kill demigods as well we need to prepare ourselves for… for anything. We should warn the Roman camp as well."

"I have already contacted Annabeth and advised them to remain on high alert." Chiron informed them. "But beings as that we have no idea how Orion managed to slip so easily into camp and kill Clarisse our defensive measures might be for naught."

"If it is even Orion." Artemis muttered.

Everyone present glanced at her sharply and even Ares looked away from the funeral pyre, his eyes blazing with hatred. "I assume you have some reason for saying something like that?" Dionysus inquired, summoning up a goblet of wine and then sighing when it transformed into a bottle of water.

"The wounds on Jude's body were not conducive to an arrow." Artemis said after a moment. "The hole in her chest was too large. Even for a spear. The same injury has been found on several of the others who have been found dead."

"So you think that Orion might have someone helping him out now?" Nico asked. "Who?"

"I can't say for sure, my suspicion is exactly that: a suspicion." Artemis said uncomfortably.

"If you know who is responsible for my daughter's death you better tell us." Ares shouted, turning away from the pyre for the first time and stomping over to Artemis. "Tell me so I can kill him and avenge my little girl!"

"I doubt Clarisse would appreciate you referring to her as 'little girl'." Chiron corrected quietly, but Ares did not appear to hear him. "But I agree with him, Artemis, if you have some inkling as to whom Orion could have recruited to his cause telling us could potentially save lives."

It was clear to Nico that Artemis did not like having information forced out of her, but she spoke nonetheless. "You understand that I can sense my hunters at all times, correct?" Artemis asked. When everyone nodded she continued on, "Around the same time that Jude died, Ryker's presence was lost to me. I could no longer sense him. There are two reasons that could happen. The first is that he was killed, which is very possible. The other is…"

"That he was the one who killed Jude." Nico breathed, finishing the thought.

At first Nico did not want to believe it. Ryker might have been many things, but a cold-blooded killer was not one of them. But the more he thought about it the more it made sense, even if he didn't want it to. They had been readying themselves for an attack from Orion, but that had in turn exposed them to an attack from an unexpected source. "But why would he do that?" Chiron asked, clearly just as unnerved by the idea as Nico was.

"I do not know, as I said, this is just a theory." Artemis said, glaring at them for their reactions. "But if it is correct it would imply that Ryker has switched sides and joined our unknown foe. As for his reasons, they are beyond me."

They continued to talk on various measures they could take to counter the next attack from Orion or Ryker, but the son of Cybele had heard enough. He cut the link he had made with a Great Horned Owl and dropped out of tree after running a kind hand down the owl's feathers. The owl hooted happily and flew silently away into the night.

Orion was leaning against the tree that Ryker had been sitting in, and watched as Ryker landed lightly on the ground in front of him. "Hear anything interesting?" Orion asked curiously, cocking his head to one side. His ever-present bow was leaning against the tree at his right side, the dark metal nearly invisible in the moonlight. "Or were you just eavesdropping for fun?"

Ryker nearly laughed. Nearly. He glanced at Orion and shrugged. "They seem to have figured out that I am working with you now." He then amended the statement. "Or at the very least they suspect it. It will make taking demigods that much more difficult."

"That's fine." Orion shrugged and smiled slightly. "We don't have any more demigod targets to _take_. You, on the other hand, have a new target."

Ryker's eyes tightened but he gave no other indication of his annoyance. Had he already not killed enough? But he shook off the thought before it could take hold and looked to Orion expectantly. "Who?" He asked in a bored tone.

"Travis Stoll. Son of Hermes." Orion said, watching Ryker intently. "After him you are free to go."

"Am I now?" Ryker asked suspiciously. He had only been working for Orion for a few weeks, not nearly as long as he had expected to. True, he had been sent on assignments far more often that the demigods had but a few weeks was far sooner than he had expected. Perhaps things were finally starting to look up. "And after I kill him I am free to return to my forest?"

"I swear on the River Styx that I will not try to stop you." Orion vowed, smiling pleasantly at Ryker. "Like I said, I'm a fair guy. We had similar goals, I want to stay alive and you want to go back to your forest. This way both of us get what we want."

"You're immortal." Ryker said slowly, drawing up the cowl on his coat. His new wardrobe had been given to him by Orion. The coat, the gloves, the pants, the shoes, all of them had been gifts from Orion. They were woven from some strange fabric that seemed to pull at shadows, begging Ryker to step into them. It made disappearing into the darkness painstakingly easy, yet emerging from the shadows proved to be a chore. It was almost like the coat was _made_ of shadows and did not want to be taken away from its kin. "You can be killed but you can't die. Not for good anyways."

"Yeah." Orion laughed, a hard and cold sound. "Let's just say that's not the case, not right now at least. All those monsters that get dusted by the demigods? Most of them aren't coming back. That's why they are fighting so hard. They don't wanna die either. If it wasn't for that I wouldn't even be part of this stupid war. The Hunters and I had a good thing going. I kill them, they hunt me down and occasionally kill me. Everyone's happy. But with this guy, he's playing for keeps."

"So you are fighting because you are afraid." Ryker nodded. "Fear is a motivator just as much as anything else."

"Yeah, that's one way to put it." Orion said darkly. "Trust me, if I had it _my_ way I would be wasting just as many monsters as you. This guy's end goal isn't what I would call…. It's not my idea of a smart plan."

"You never have told me who it is that you are working for." Ryker noted, pulling his bow from his shoulder and gazing out towards Camp Half-Blood. "Or are you still worried I am going to betray you?"

"Nah, not after wasting so many demigods." Orion laughed again and shook his head. "The gods don't take lightly to that."

Without another word Ryker disappeared into the forest. He made scarcely more noise than the shadows he hid in as he crept into Camp Half-Blood, an arrow nocked to his bow, and moved through the tents. There was a moment of tension when Nico di Angelo and Artemis strode by him, both of them engaged in conversation, but they didn't seem to take note of his presence. One of the cleaning harpies that made its residence at Camp Half-Blood _did_ notice him when he emerged from the shadows beside the Hermes Cabin. It made to take into the air, drawing in breath for a screech, but Ryker silenced it with an arrow through one eye. The monster crumbled away without another sound. One of the Hermes demigods strode out of the cabin in irritation and looked up to where the Harpy had been sitting. "Stupid chicken-ladies." The demigod muttered before walking back into the cabin.

Ryker waited until he was at the door before making himself known. The second that the camper had stepped off the porch to look for the harpy Ryker had vaulted onto the wood from the other side and sat in the shadows, waiting for his prey to step back onto the porch. Perhaps it was a trick of the light, the years of thieving experience, or even some sixth sense, whatever it was _, something_ alerted the son of Hermes to Ryker's presence. He managed a brief cry before Ryker's ungloved hand clamped over his mouth, silencing him. The damage had been done though, the inhabitants of the cabin had heard the sound of surprise. Ryker quickly inspected the face of the demigod he had captured and made a sound of digust. "You aren't the one I was sent for." He said, pushing the son of Hermes in front of the door and tearing off of the front porch. He could only hope that the cowl on his cloak had hid his face enough for the demigod to not notice who he was.

The second that his feet hit the floor Ryker tore off for the forest. Staying in an attempt to kill Travis Stoll would have been foolhardy, and potentially fatal. Horns of alarm went up along the camp in record time, before he could even make it back to the woods, and fires began to run across the camp's borders. Ryker had just managed to make it to the border when the ring of fire completed itself. He skidded to a halt as the flames rose to tower fifteen feet into the air. The sounds of footsteps had Ryker spinning around and ripping a special arrow that Orion had given him from his quiver. Scores of demigods were rushing towards him with a medley of weapons in their hands.

"Well, I would be remiss to say that catching you hasn't been entirely easy." Dionysus drawled, appearing in mist of wine-smelling air beside the demigods. A silver flash and a pillar of fire signaled the arrival of Artemis and Ares. "But, as they say, that all ends now. You can try going through the fire if you would like, in fact please do, but you should know that it will burn you to cinders the second that you touch it."

 _Not good._ Ryker thought to himself, his eyes darting back and forth between the three gods and then to the line of demigods. _Too many. Too much power._

He kept his arrow drawn, the explosive tip swaying back and forth. This bow was better than the one he had been given by Artemis, stronger. Keeping it drawn was so much easier as well. "You are the one who killed my daughter." Ares growled. He strode forward and a pillar of flame encircled the god and his target. Ares grew taller and taller until he stood as tall as the very highest of the flames. He gazed down at the hooded demigod in rage, a massive broadsword now in his hands. A loud crack rang out above the flames and the prison of fire that had encircled Ares and Ryker died down until the flames were completely gone. The ring of fire around the camp however remained fully intact.

"As much as I agree with your rage, I think that we should interrogate him first. Don't you think that would be best?" Artemis asked coolly. Ares slowly shrank to a normal sized human and stepped back even as Artemis stepped forward. "Why don't you surrender, Ryker?" She asked, her voice carrying an unmistakable plaintive tone that was most unlike her.

Ryker wasn't the one who answered. He lowered his bow and threw back his cowl, glaring at the gods and goddess and demigods. It was Orion who answered, leaping up as a hole opened up in the earth. The Giant grinned at the looks of surprise on the faces of those assembled and winked at Artemis. "Been a while. Miss me?"

"Orion!" Artemis hissed, drawing her bow. She let loose a silver arrow at the Giant which was intercepted by an identical one. The mini-explosion from the arrows kicked up a small cloud of dirt, though not nearly enough to obscure the vision of either side. She glanced to Ryker in surprise and outrage. Ryker looked back at her with a blank expression, his own bow slung over his shoulder and Artemis's bow drawn with another arrow ready.

"Looks like we have reached an impasse." Orion reasoned. He nodded his head to the pillar of fire and smiled. "On the other side of this fire is a legion of monsters far larger than anything you have seen thus far. Now you can go ahead and _try_ to kill us before the fire defense is broken, or you can let us go and I will call off the monster attack. It's your choice."


	52. Reveal

"I'm glad to see that you are seeing things my way." Orion said slyly once the gods returned. They had adjourned after Orion's offer to discuss it amongst themselves while the two hunters were watched with barely concealed hostility by the demigods. Several of them seemed like they would have enjoyed nothing more than to take their chances with the monsters outside of the camp if it meant they could bring down Orion and Ryker. One camper had actually taken a step forward and opened his mouth to sound a charge when Ryker sent an arrow through his leg. That had killed any potentially hasty actions from the others.

"You are free to go." Artemis said stiffly. " _Only_ you. You will leave Ryker behind."

The demigod narrowed his eyes and tightened his hold on his bow, readying himself for a fight. Surprisingly, however, Orion laughed and shook his head. "Now, see that is what I would call a deal breaker. Ryker comes with me."

"Do you think you are in a position to argue?" Ares sneered, tapping one finger on his massive broadsword.

"Do _you_ think I am in a position not to?" Orion asked in disbelief. He shrugged and sent the gods a pleasant smile. "Go ahead. Kill us. After the monsters wipe out every single demigod and ally you have here they will go to Camp Jupiter. We will decimate every one of your children without a second thought."

"If you think we will let them die so easily you are sorely mistaken." Artemis told him frankly. "As usual."

"Oh there will be losses." Orion smirked. "There always is. But monsters resurrect. Demigods don't. You gods might make children like it is going out of fashion, but even you won't be able to keep up with the amount that we kill."

The gods exchanged a look and then turned back to Ryker and Orion. "You are free to go." Dionysus said indifferently, drinking from a water bottle. "But know that next time you will not be let go so easily."

"Don't worry, we won't get caught next time." Orion told him sincerely, turning around and glancing at the wall of fire. "Going to do something about this?"

"Before you go, Ryker, would you mind if I had a word?" Artemis asked him, her tone clearly indicating it was more order than request. "Please."

Orion shot him a questioning look and Ryker turned a bored look on the goddess. "I have nothing to say to you." He said coldly.

"Hey!" Thalia said, taking an angry step forward. "Artemis said she wanted to talk to you! Traitor or not you can't diss her like that."

"I swear on the River Styx that I do not intend to do anything to prevent you from leaving." Artemis offered.

Orion clapped one huge hand on Ryker's shoulder and smiled at Artemis. "You know, Artemis, I didn't realize it until just now but this kid and I are far more similar than I had first realized." He patted Ryker fondly on the shoulder until the wild demigod stepped out of reach. "Both of us were pushed away because of the way you meddled in our lives. You might go as far to say that he and I are kindred spirits."

"He is _nothing_ like you, Orion." Artemis shot back. "Your scheming might have turned him away from the right path, but make no mistake. He isn't a killer."

"Oh, I don't know." Orion shrugged good-naturedly. "He seems to be doing a very thorough job. Actually this is the first contract he has failed to complete."

"Contract?" Cybele inquired, speaking up for the first time. "What contract?"

"Oh, didn't you guess?" Orion asked, genuinely surprised. "We have a little deal with Ryker. He kills the people we ask him to kill and we let him go back to the forest, no strings attached."

"Which is going to be much harder to do now that you told them where I will be going." Ryker reminded him quietly. He sighed and hitched his bow over his shoulder. He turned to Artemis and called, "Fine. I'll hear what you have to say."

"Be careful." Orion muttered in a low voice as Ryker strode over to Artemis. The Hunters at her sides stepped around Ryker until he and the goddess were surrounded. He swept his eyes around the Hunters, taking in their looks of hatred and fury with a sneer.

"Speak quickly." Ryker told Artemis, his expression carefully disdainful.

"Why?" Artemis demanded, her sudden anger nearly surprising Ryker. "Why would you betray us like this? Why would you kill those demigods? Does your forest mean that much to you? More than the lives of those who had once called you friend?"

"If they called me friend that was their mistake." Ryker told her, his tone neutral. "It made them so much easier to hunt. You asked me why I killed those demigods. Orion had it right. Their blood is on your hands just as much as mine. You brought a predator amongst them and trapped it there, did you think that my claws and fangs had grown dull because of my confinement? You forgot the first rule of hunting, Artemis. Never take your eyes off of your prey."

"So you betrayed us?" Thalia demanded, her voice nearly a shriek. "You killed Jude, killed Grover, and killed how many others just so that you could be left alone?"

"Well, asking nicely did not seem to be getting the message across." Ryker told her, smiling slightly. It was a dead expression though, his eyes cold and distant. "Evidently corpses are the best way to get your attention."

"You…" Thalia could not seem to find the words horrible enough to describe just how much she loathed Ryker. "You are no hunter."

Ryker's eyes tightened as his face shifted from smirk to scowl. "I am a hunter. I am the _best_ hunter. If you were even half as good as you think you are, catching and killing me would have been simple."

"I can see that you are resolved to follow this path through to the end." Artemis said heavily. "I had hoped to possibly sway you from your course, but I can see that was a hopeless endeavor. Goodbye, Ryker. I fear that the next time we meet it will be under even darker circumstances."

"Probably." Ryker turned around and walked away, the Hunters parting before him rather grudgingly. The ring of fire had disappeared and Orion was waiting for him rather impatiently. Ryker didn't spare Camp Half-Blood another glance as he and the Giant disappeared into the woods, leaving the gods and demigods far behind.

Ryker had no idea how far they would be running, though he had honestly thought it would be much farther when Orion ground to a sudden stop. The hunter skidded to a stop a few paces behind him and reached questioningly for an arrow. When Orion whirled around and aimed a red and black arrow at Ryker the hunter returned the threat and the two stood there with bows drawn, glaring at one another. "I would say that I didn't expect betrayal, but I would be lying." Ryker sneered.

"You and I need to have a little chat." Orion said, ignoring Ryker's statement. "And we need to have it quickly, before _they_ appear."

"They?" Ryker repeated curiously. "To which 'they' are you referring? The demigods? The Hunters?"

"Worse." Orion said, slowly lowering his bow. "Atlas and his cronies."

"What does Atlas have to do with this?" Ryker asked, not following. "My deal was with-."

"Your deal was with me and me alone." Orion finished the thought. "For what it's worth I had not been privy to their actual intentions. I had truly thought that they were going to let you leave after fulfilling your end of the bargain. Thought I would have more time to swing you to my side, but I guess that is out the window now."

"So Atlas is coming to kill me." Ryker lowered his bow as well, though he kept the arrow drawn. "Fine. Why warn me? You two are on the same side."

"We are on the same side out of fear, not out of loyalty or mutual goal." Orion explained. "The one we are working for, Tartarus, he holds the ability to truly kill any and all monsters that comes before him. Since monsters regenerate in his realm, it makes things a bit dicey. That's how he has unified every single monster, Giant, and Titan. Through threat of death, though that is only a stopgap. Once he kills every one of the gods and demigods he will turn his attention on the mortals. Tartarus wants all life on the planet to be killed so that he can start anew."

"Why tell me?" Ryker asked coldly, slowly releasing the tension in his bow. "Wouldn't it have been more prudent to tell this to the gods rather than further alienate ourselves from them?"

"Not quite." Orion took a deep breath and began reciting,

" _When the gate swings open,_

 _A son of the Earth will arise,_

 _And fix what has been broken._

 _He will build the new ties._

 _Foes once friend shall join again._

 _From under the earth shall the army campaign,_

 _They will answer the desperate call,_

 _And so shall mountain or end fall."_

Orion finished reciting the prophecy and looked expectantly at Ryker. "How did you know that?" Ryker asked slowly. "Not even the Oracle did."

"Probably because this prophecy is _really_ old." Orion laughed. "Centuries at least, millennia at most. That's why she wouldn't have known it. It predates even the Sibylline Books. At least, that's what we were told. Whether that's true or not, your guess is as good as mine."

"So what does it have to do with me?" Ryker demanded, growing more impatient and annoyed by the second. "You think the prophecy has to do with me?"

"Evidently quite a few immortals think so." Orion said noncommittally. "But it doesn't really bother me. What matter to _me_ is making sure that everything on the planet doesn't get wiped out."

"Which brings back the question, why would you not simply tell the gods who they are facing?" Ryker asked again.

"Because I doubt they would have believed me, even if they didn't kill me on sight." Orion smiled mockingly. "I don't know if you know this, but we don't exactly have the best relationship. That's why I needed you. They trusted you, perhaps some even still do."

"They probably don't anymore, now that they know I'm the one who killed all of their friends." Ryker pointed out angrily. "I'm not going back to my forest any time soon, am I?"

"If you don't help us kill Tartarus, you won't have a forest to return to." Orion pointed out. "But, hey, I'm a fair guy. Like I said, if you want to go back and live out the remainder of your days in the forest I won't stop you. But that won't give you much time left, especially now that Tartarus has all the demigods he needs."

"What's he doing with them anyways?" Ryker asked. "The thing I took down wasn't Gina."

"Your right, she wasn't." Orion nodded. "I'm not sure what he does, but that definitely was not your friend. Your friend is still somewhere in Tartarus, chained up. Just like the others."

Ryker blew out a frustrated sigh and eyed Orion angrily. "This was your plan all along, wasn't it?"

"Sure was." Orion nodded. "Well, sort of. I was planning on slowly swinging you over to my side rather than just laying all of this on you at once. But beggars can't be choosers. You need to make a decision, now. Are you going back to your forest or are you going to fight alongside us?"

"Us?" Ryker repeated. "Who else is in on your little scheme to fight Tartarus alongside the gods?"

"Oh, a few." Orion smiled again. "But it is the few that we need. They are taking care of something rather important even as we speak."

"Fine, I'll fight with you." Ryker gave him his most malevolent glare. "But after this I am done. I will help you kill Tartarus, but after that I am leaving for good."

"Deal." Orion extended his hand and Ryker hesitantly shook it. "Now that we are working together there is something that I need you to do. Two things actually."

"Which are?" Ryker asked, one eyebrow raised.

"I need you to kill someone whom you think would be able to sway people to our side." Orion said quickly. He paused and then added. "And I need you to die."

 **Alright my readers, I would like to apologize for my temporary absence. I have been quite busy of late, and for that I apologize.**

 **-Hallowed**


	53. Death

Ryker stood on the limb of a tree several hundred yards away from the borders of Camp Jupiter, his image dissolved in the gloom by the shadowy folds of his dark clothing. He made scarcely more sound than the wind itself as he looked over the camp, his face drawn and composed. His bow was held lightly in the hand that Orion had given him, his arrows on his back. He gazed over the camp, illuminated by torchlight, and watched the unknowing demigods go about their daily tasks seemingly without a care in the world. Ryker made a noise of disparagement and gave a slight shake of his head. He stepped off the branch and slipped down quietly to the forest floor. At the bottom of the tree stood Orion, his large red and black bow casually being rested on as a makeshift crutch. The Giant smiled slightly at the hunter and rolled his eyes. "Hey, don't be so angry." Orion offered good-naturedly, patting Ryker on the back and earning a fearsome scowl. "It's only death. It's not so bad, trust me."

"You resurrect in Tartarus." Ryker reminded him coldly. "If what you told me is true, this will not nearly be so easy for me."

"I don't know if anyone else has ever told you this, but nothing in this world comes easy. Especially the sort of freedom from the gods and their games that you so desire." Orion told him, mirroring Ryker's icy tone. "You've made enemies of both sides now."

"Because of your scheming." Ryker reminded him, scowling deeply. "Had you been forthright about Tartarus's plan for me in the beginning this might have gone differently."

"Maybe." Orion admitted. "But maybe not in a good way. Maybe he would have killed you outright. Or maybe the gods would have sank their claws in you again and dragged you back to answer their beck and call. It's best not to dwell on the past."

Ryker glanced up at the moon and sighed. He took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly, opening his eyes and assuming an emotionless façade. "It's time." He told Orion, turning on his heel and striding off towards the camp. He paused right at the clearing's edge and glanced back at the Giant. "If they try to capture me you know what you have to do. And you had better be right about what's going to happen… after. Otherwise when I come back it won't be for Tartarus. It will be for you."

"How about you just focus on making it back first?" Orion suggested with a bark of laughter. "And try not to take too long."

With a sneer and another sound of disparagement Ryker slipped into the dark of the night and faded into the woods. He breezed past the sentries with barely more effort than walking a straight line. Neither of the demigods seemed even remotely aware of how close they had come to meeting with the very monster that had been terrorizing their camp. Once within the borders of the camp Ryker slowed his progress significantly. He knew his target, but he didn't know where his target was located. He had observed the camp for several days, carefully planning out this final assassination. Her schedule had been hectic at best, almost as though she purposefully did not want someone to figure out her pattern. Indeed, there had been no pattern as far as Ryker could tell. A group of demigods walked by where he stood, his dark clothing blending perfectly into the shadows at the edge of a tent. Within the medical tent he heard the familiar laugh of Will Solace as he joked with a patient. The sound made Ryker feel strangely nostalgic, but he brushed it aside. If his time alone in the forest had taught him anything it had been that everything died eventually. No hunter was strong enough to fight off the greatest hunter of all; death. Before death nothing could escape. No prey, no predator. Nonetheless, it was an odd thing for Ryker. To willingly walk to his death. All his life he had fought for survival, fought to _live_ and now like some cruel joke he was throwing all of that away.

He crept around the tent without a sound and darted from one tent to the next, listening intently for the voice of the one he hunted. But each tent that he went to simply provided more and more disappointment. He had just reached the furthest tent from the point where he had infiltrated the camp when he heard someone clapping behind him. He whirled around and saw a woman garbed in a richly colored dress smiling pleasantly at him. "I had wondered when you would make another attempt." She informed him, slowly crossing her arms. Her smile slowly slipped from her face to be replaced by a slight glare. "Do you know how much you vexed me? I had been searching desperately to find the immortal who had been killing demigods. I had begun to worry that someone even more powerful with the earth than I had been enlisted as an ally by Orion. You can only imagine my relief and fury upon hearing from Camp Half-Blood that the killer was in fact a mortal. Therein lied my problem. I had been searching for an immortal. You are not. Although, I must give credit where it is due. You are quite skilled at hidden movement and silence. In addition, that clothing of yours is quite something. Even as I gaze upon you it distorts your image. If I didn't know you were there I might even be fooled."

The tent behind Ryker crumbled away, revealing a squadron of Romans hiding within. They were heavily armed with all of them leveling their weapons at Ryker. At their head stood Frank Zhang and Hazel Levasque, both of them glaring at Ryker with a level of hatred that only betrayal can bring about. The other tents crumbled away revealing similar squadrons of Romans and Ryker had to bite back a cold laugh. He had been caught well and truly. The very same tactic he had been planning on using against them had been twisted back upon himself. He scanned the area and his eyes lit upon his final target: Annabeth. She stood several tents down, a group of Romans at her back. Separating Ryker and her were no less than four dozen Romans. Poor odds no matter how skilled the fighter was.

"You traitor." Frank spat, disgust heavy in his voice. "And for what? To go back to your forest."

 _You mustn't let them know about our plan. For this to work you need to keep them convinced that you are still fighting against them. Otherwise the gods and Tartarus will grow wise to us._ Orion's words rang in Ryker's ears, and he cut down the last vestiges of emotions that had threatened to form over his impending demise. "I told you, all of you, I wanted no part of your camps." Ryker told them coldly. "I had thought that you would understand me more plainly had I placed a few bodies at your feet."

"Why you…." Percy's face was white with rage and his grip on Riptide was so tight that the sword shook slightly.

Ryker finished the thought. "I suppose I just got a bit too carried away." He laughed, a long twisted laugh. "But what can I say? Easy prey is so _fun._ "

That did it. The Romans attacked as one the instant that Frank gave the order. Thankfully Ceres deigned not to join the fray, merely assist. Ryker was instantly on the defensive, dodging spears and swords with all the skill that he possessed. He lashed out even as he dipped and dived, but his blows were useless. Plants sprang from the earth and intercepted his blows before they could land. The Romans seemed cheered by this as the first of them avoided certain death at Ryker's hands and renewed their attack. Had they been rational they would have formed a line in front of Ryker and taken calm shots at the hunter as he tried to close on them. But they weren't rational. Ryker had killed many of their number, and he had never been a popular figure at camp at any rate. Every Roman wanted their shot at the hated demigod, and Ryker had no choice but to oblige them. Within minutes he was sporting more than a dozen cuts and two particularly nasty stab wounds, one in his back and on in his side. His breath came in ragged bursts as he fended off yet another attack. He couldn't even muster the will to let out his reckless laugh. This fight was not one he wanted. _Perhaps this is how the others feel when they fight._ Ryker thought in a rare moment of empathy. The momentary distraction cost him yet another stab wound, in the abdominals this time. The owner of the spear in question was sent flying less than half a second later, but she left her spear in Ryker's midsection. He dragged the spearhead from his flesh, groaning and tossing it at another Roman as he was approached. Eager to press the advantage, another gutsy Roman darted forward and stabbed at Ryker's back. He twisted away but the sword still split the flesh between two of his ribs. Ryker grabbed the wrist of the offending swordsman and flipped him into a gaggle of his compatriots, the effort leaving him breathless and exhausted. He could feel the animalistic fighting instincts raging beneath the surface of his skin and the temptation to fall into them was heavy, but he knew that he couldn't. Losing control and dying without accomplishing his task would have been less than useless. He had been working through the Roman ranks, deeper and deeper in them. To an outside eye it would seem as though Ryker was simply trying his best to escape and had simply lost his bearings. But to Orion, who watched from the trees several hundred yards away, he had to give the demigod credit. Ryker was dancing through the ranks in a straight beeline for Annabeth.

Ryker was certain that he was nearing his physical limit when he finally laid eyes upon Chase. She had a sword ready in hand and a fierce expression on her face as she beheld Ryker. The sight of his target gave Ryker a momentary surge of energy and he exploded into motion. Two Romans attempted to stab him from either side, but they simply staggered past him as Ryker grabbed their arms and yanked them off balance. That left Ryker with a momentary clear line of sight at Annabeth. "You." He hissed, his claws flashing murderously in the fire's light. "You are coming with me."

"Come try it then!" Annabeth challenged, planting her feet firmly and glaring at him.

Ryker already heard Percy rushing through the Romans to assist Annabeth and he knew that he was running low on time. This opportunity was a fleeting one at best. He covered the ten feet between them in a single bound and his claws sparked off of Annabeth's sword as they clashed. _You have to be certain she is dead._ Orion had told him. _Before you die you have to ensure that she dies. A mortal wound isn't a guarantee, particularly with gods and goddesses around._

Annabeth was a seasoned fighter. Her skill with a blade nearly matched her keen intelligence and propensity for foolproof strategies. Fighting her while also avoiding the blades of other Romans _and_ ensuring that he wasn't swept away from her in the heat of battle was nearly impossible. But Annabeth's skill in a fight was what finally brought her down. Ryker purposefully left his side exposed, though the ruse was invisible. Annabeth took the opportunity and Ryker bit down a scream as her blade entered his left side and exited his right. The battle paused in shock, including Annabeth, as the Romans assumed that Ryker had finally been brought down. "Call in the medical team." Ceres called as Annabeth began to withdraw her blade from within Ryker's abdomen. "I think that he could provide us with much information about our adver-."

"Sorry." Ryker said again, a line of blood beginning to trickle from the corner of his mouth. He grabbed Annabeth by wrist, causing her sword to cut across the flesh of his stomach. "But this is over."

Plants immediately sprouted from the earth and wrapped around Ryker's wrist, tightening until his grip on a struggling Annabeth became almost nonexistent. She had nearly wrested herself away from him when a silver glow illuminated his hand. Annabeth howled in pain as a large silver bow shot from Ryker's hand. The plants crumbled away and for just a moment Ryker was free. He stepped back and drew the bow back. At point blank range Artemis's arrow left a smoking hole in Annabeth's chest, effectively obliterating her heart. The daughter of Athena fell lifeless to the ground and the Roman camp was silent, save for Percy. The son of Poseidon gave a blood curling scream and water was ripped from the ground around Ryker's feet. What might have happened next was anyone's guess, but it was abruptly cut off by three large black and red shafted arrows that flew through the night. Two struck Ryker in the chest, both of them piercing his heart while the third rocked his head back as it impaled his skull. The son of Cybele dropped to the ground as lifeless as Annabeth and the Roman camp was silent once more, no one quite sure what had just happened.

 **It's baaaack. Hello my readers, how have you been? Perhaps I should have left a note informing all of you that I was going on a bit of a vacation. But worry not, Forgotten Prophecy will be getting back to it's regularly scheduled updates. Glad to be back.**

 **Cheers, Hallowed**


	54. Sentence

"You know, I have transported hundreds if not thousands of demigods across this river." A gray bearded old man told Ryker when he opened his eyes. "But you are the first that I did not expect. Usually Thanatos gives me a set list every day."

"Where… where am I?" Ryker asked, gaining his bearings. The surroundings were dark and decrepit, with random balls of floating light strewn about the cavern that Ryker now found himself in. He instinctively reached for his bow, but it was not setting where he usually left it over his shoulder. His claws were similarly missing. He glanced down at his hands and scowled when he saw that even death had not returned his hand to him. He glanced back at the ferryman and answered his own question as the memory of his death came flooding back to him. "The Underworld. I'm dead."

"You are handling it pretty well." The ferryman observed, leaning on a sign post that was lettered in Ancient Greek. "A lot of people start to beg for second chances or start to look for a way out."

"There was a girl who came here before me, a daughter of Athena." Ryker said, ignoring the old man's words. "Where is she?"

"Oh, she is probably facing the three judges right about now." The Ferryman told him. "I just took her over."

"She died only a few seconds before I did." Ryker frowned. "How did you manage to cross the river in such little time?"

"You mortals and your concept of time." The ferryman chuckled slightly even as he stepped down into the small boat that was gently bobbing against the side of the stone docks. He glanced back to Ryker and raised an eyebrow. "Well, were you planning on crossing? Or did you want to remain on this side of the river for all of eternity?"

"I don't have a coin." Ryker said warily. Orion had warned him of this. The Romans likely would not supply him with the coins necessary for him to pay the ferryman. If the ferryman decided not to take him because of this Ryker would be forced to either attempt to overpower the man or take his chances crossing the river. Neither option sounded promising in the slightest. The old man had a quiet energy about him, an energy that even Ryker was hesitant to test. The river was option was simply not an option at all. Though it flowed smoothly, the River Styx had a sinister feel about it. The far side of the river was no better, though Ryker knew that his time in dealing with the River Acheron was yet to come.

"That's fine." Charon said, shrugging. "For the first unexpected arrival in several thousand years, the least I can do is let you cross. Come on then, I imagine the judges are waiting."

Ryker said nothing as he warily stepped into the boat. Charon gestured for him to take a seat, but Ryker elected to remain standing and keep a wary eye on the old man. Charon shrugged and pushed off the stone dock with his wooden push pole. "That girl who went ahead of you, you said you knew her? Friend of yours?"

But Ryker refused to be baited into a conversation. He kept his gaze locked onto the Ferryman and did not speak a word. Charon muttered something about just trying to make conversation, but he too lapsed into silence. After what seemed like only a few minutes Ryker felt the boat gently bump into something and Charon nodded to something over Ryker's shoulder. "We're here kid." He informed Ryker. "I wish you all the luck that this place has to offer."

"Thank you." Ryker said, breaking his silence. He stepped lightly off the boat and onto the shore. He glanced back over his shoulder and blinked in surprise when he saw that the ferryman was already halfway back across the rivers. Ryker watched him for a few moments and then slowly shook his head. "Time flows differently here." He murmured to himself.

The ferryman had dropped him off before two massive onyx doors that had various scenes of battle etched into the stone. Ryker slowly approached the doors and placed one hand against the right side. He pushed it slightly and the door opened with incredible ease. Ryker slipped through and the doors slammed shut behind him with an eerie finality. Beyond the doors were a set of stairs that seemed to have been made from Stygian iron, which Ryker quickly ascended. At the top of the stairs was a small circular room with three high chairs bordering it. The second that the hunter stepped into the room the steps behind him disappeared and Ryker was suddenly locked into the room. He gazed up at one of the seats and raised an eyebrow in surprise when he saw that the chair was occupied. Three very old men, older than even Charon, were seated above the room and were gazing down on Ryker with interest.

"He's a murderer." One said immediately. "He should be sentenced to the River Acheron until the end of time." Chains sprouted from the ground at Ryker's feet and wrapped themselves around his ankles. The cold metal snaked up his legs until he was immobilized to the thigh. The chains were impossibly heavy, and they chilled him to the bone.

"Peace, Aeacus." One said with a patient wave of his hand. "He took no pleasure in those he killed." The chains grew significantly lighter, but their chill did not lessen at all. "Sentencing him to the River Acheron would not be just. And our cause is the continuous search of justice."

"You speak the truth, Minos," The third judge said gravely. "He may have taken no pleasure in the killing, but he killed nonetheless. Dozens of demigods have fallen to him. That simply cannot go unpunished. I suggest the Fields of Punishment."

"Aah, and yet we can see that his true intention was simply to return to the life he was taken from." Minos reminded the other judges. "Returning home is something that all three of us can comprehend."

The other judges muttered their agreement, though it was grudging. "It does not change the fact that he killed many demigods in the service of _Tartarus_." Aeacus said the name like a curse. The chains grew unbearably heavy around Ryker again, climbing farther up him until his arms were draped in the freezing metal as well. Ryker tried to speak out on his own behalf, or at least to curse the judges, but his voice had evidently abandoned him. "Killing in the name of an evil such as that is evil in of itself."

"He makes a valid point, Minos," Rhadamanthus told him. "Killing for evil, even if oneself is not evil, is still evil in nature and that must be punished."

"I see your reasoning." Minos said gravely. "It appears that I am outnumbered here. Tell me, Aeacus, what would you see his punishment be?"

"The River Acheron with him." The judge sneered, gazing down his nose at Ryker. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Ryker opened his mouth to speak, but again no words came out. Aeacus laughed coldly and shook his head. "The guilty can never offer words to defend their actions when they know they have done wrong." The judge informed Ryker even as the chains began to wrap tightly around the hunter's neck. "Such is the way of the Underworld. The guilty can never defend their actions. Begone."

The judge gave a wave of his hand and the chains covered Ryker's face. The cold metal burned his flesh, and the pain nearly obscured the momentary weightlessness that came after Ryker's vision had been obscured. The weightlessness ended abruptly as he crashed into water, though Ryker immediately wished it would come back in lieu of what replaced it. The chains fell away as well, though Ryker would have welcomed them back as an alternative. The water he now found himself being washed away in was unlike anything he had ever felt before. It seemed to pull at his mind even as pain assaulted every single fiber of his being. Memories of pain racked his mind while his skin seared and froze at the same time. He wasn't sure how it happened, but the water quickly seemed to wash away his thoughts. His life was consumed with only pain.

The body of Annabeth was burned on a funeral pyre with the whole camp in attendance. Even the gods and goddesses who had shown up. Ceres created a beautiful funeral pyre out of the most wonderful plants and flowers that were found in the wilderness. Leo sort of thought that Annabeth would have preferred a less flashy pyre, but the gesture was nice so he didn't remark on this to anyone. He wouldn't have anyways. The death of Annabeth had been a bitter pill to swallow, especially after learning about Ryker's betrayal. Even after the fire had finished it work and most of the camp had dispersed, Percy still remained where he had been from the moment that the first flame had started. It was like he was rooted to the spot, his gaze locked into the distance as though looking for Annabeth to come flying over the horizon. His eyes were red and puffy from the tears that had streamed down his face, but he had not given a single cry of remorse. In Leo's opinion that might have been worse. He wanted to go to his friend, but Calypso warned him to let Percy have his time to grieve. Frank and Hazel had offered similar advice. So there Percy was left, staring out over the horizon.

Ryker's body had been left to lie where it had been shot and no one had yet been able to bring themselves to look upon the demigod who had betrayed so many of them and killed one of their Praetors. "Might as well." Leo muttered to himself, turning away from where he had been observing Percy and striding off to go check on Ryker's body.


	55. Hecate

He wasn't sure how long that the River Acheron pulled him along. He wasn't even sure if he was being pulled along truth be told. The souls of others who were doomed to the river constantly swirled around them, their screams deafening from their close proximity. The feeling of being nothing more than a spirit in a river of the spirits of murderers was unsettling in the most extreme sense of the word. Though they were in eternal damnation, Ryker could clearly feel that none of the murderers around him regretted their actions in the slightest. That distinction between him and them was the only thing that gave Ryker solace and let him hang onto his sanity, though only just.

 _Give up._ Those around him crooned, their non-corporeal hands reaching at him from all sides. _You belong here, you belong with_ us. _Give up._

Those constant taunts and commands for Ryker to give up his own individuality to the river was what finally gave him the strength and presence of mind to escape the river. It wasn't easy. Breaking the surface of the river alone was borderline impossible. The water pushed against him at least as hard as he pushed against it, and every time that he was about to break free the souls of the damned would drag him back deep into the river and he would have to start the process again. But, stubborn as he was, Ryker kept trying.

His arm was what broke the surface first. The moment that his limb touched the rancid air of the Underworld the rest of his body was jolted as though a surge of electricity had passed through him. His head broke the surface next, though this was far easier now. Then his other arm. With a large amount of difficulty Ryker paddled over to the edge of the river, fighting off the hands of the damned as they fought to keep one of their own amongst them. But in the end Ryker would not be denied. He grabbed a ridged stone on the river's side and hauled himself out of the water, kicking out to detach the last of the damned souls from where they had latched onto him. He staggered several steps forward until he was well and truly free of the river when he fell forward onto his hands and knees and struggled to catch his breath. His skin tingled and burned with the memory of the pain it had been subjected to, but it already had begun to fade away.

"What have we here?" A hissing voice asked airily. Ryker could not bring his head up to look at what had spoken, but he heard the sound of leathery wings flapping in front of him until they stopped directly in front of him. Two birdlike feet ending in wicked talons came into his field of view and Ryker felt hot breath on the nape of his neck. "Someone escaped the River Acheron did they? Oh, the judges will not be happy about that. No they won't. I shoulds tell them and get a reward, yes I should. But what is the escapee's name?"

Ryker didn't bother answering. Even if he had been able to, he wouldn't have. He just focused on getting his breath back and quieting his shaking limbs. He felt something peck at the back of his neck and he scowled and winced simultaneously. "It doesn't want to answer." The bird-thing chirped, annoyed. "But it needs to talk so that I can tell the judges so that they will reward me for it."

Before Ryker's time in the River Acheron he would have killed the bird-creature without a second thought and zero hesitation. But after seeing and feeling the bloodlust and joy that murderers and their ilk felt while committing their atrocities, he found that he at least wanted to give this creature the chance to save itself. "You…. Need… to go away." Ryker warned. He managed to raise his head and fix the creature with a glare. It was an ugly beast, but that was common. It had bat-like wings, a very wickedly pointed beak, and its chest was covered in mottled red scales like that of a dragon. A long rat-like tail that was twice as long as the creature itself was. The thing was not very big however, no larger than a good sized chicken.

"No, I need to go tell the judges yes I do." The bird began to spread its wings as though to fly away. It then made its fatal mistake, it turned its back on Ryker as it began to fly away. The demigod grabbed the chicken-thing by the tail and dragged it backward with one arm. The chicken squawked out, "Let me go now dead demigod!"

"I'm not dead, not anymore." Ryker snarled. He momentarily released the creature's tail just long enough to grab both of the leathery wings. The chicken creature fought and squawked and threatened him even as Ryker dunked him beneath the river Acheron. Immediately the ghostly hands of the damned reached up and grabbed onto the chicken. They attempted to grab onto Ryker as well, but he had recovered to the point that he was able to dislodge them with little effort. The chicken however was not so fortunate. The last Ryker saw of it was its stricken and terrified eyes staring up at him as it was dragged ever deeper into the River. "But you are." He told the bird, though it clearly could not hear him.

He got slowly to his feet and took stock of his surroundings. The river had brought him into the very depths of the Underworld, though as to where he was Ryker did not have the slightest clue. He turned in a slow circle and then sighed. The air was hot and heavy around him, pressing against his flesh like a physical object. His limbs still felt heavy from his time in the Acheron, but at the very least the river had somehow restored to him the clothes he had died in. His faux hand was missing, but then again so were the rest of his weapons. In the gloom of the Underworld his cloak melted against the darkness. It was almost difficult for even Ryker to see his arm against the dark background.

He glanced back to the river and suppressed a shudder. His time in the Acheron had been, by a large measure, the absolute worst time in his life… or afterlife. The phantom memory of those who were doomed to the river and the pleasure that they took in killing, torturing, and causing others pain left a sick taste in his mouth. Even killing the creature who had threatened to expose him to the judges was weighing heavily on Ryker's conscience. If the purpose of the river was to make those trapped inside of it to look back and repent upon their crimes, it was certainly an effective tool.

Ryker had just set forward when a soft laugh came from behind him, right where the creature had gone into the River Acheron. He slowly turned back around, uncertain of what he was about to face. Sure enough, he was not alone. Standing right by the river's edge was a woman with a long dark grey dress and two lanterns held in her hands. "You know, that is the first time I have ever seen anyone able to escape my spell." She told him, her tone slightly annoyed. "Do you know how upset Zeus will be with me if he learns that one of the souls condemned to the Acheron escaped? Especially _you._ I imagine that he would be quite upset."

"So you came to put me back in, right?" Ryker challenged her. Orion had warned him of this. The Underworld had countless measures to protect itself from any potential soul who sought to cause trouble. Many of those measures had been in place for so long that they had been forgotten. Ryker desperately wished he had some sort of weapon, or at least a way to protect himself from the goddess. "Who are you?"

"I suppose that you wouldn't recognize me." The goddess sighed. "My name is Hecate. And yes, I am here to put you back to where you belong. Before I do so, I don't suppose that you would be willing to tell me how you managed to break through? My enchantment on the surface of that River was strong enough so that even Titans or Giants would have issues breaking through. Even the most powerful of demigods would find the task impossible. And you would not have held a candle to Hercules or Odysseus."

Hecate. The Goddess of Magic. Ryker took another deep breath and very slowly let it out, watching her intently. This was a very bad matchup for him, even if he had been fully armed. From what he had been told by Hazel, this goddess did not fight with conventional means. Magic was not something that could be overcome by force of will, which left Ryker with no other choice. He feinted at her and she brought up her lanterns, the flames blazing brightly before her. But Ryker had expected that. The second that the lanterns had obscured Hecate's vision he turned on the spot and dashed off deeper into the Underworld.

He relied on the darkness of his clothes to help meld him into the shadows and gloom of the Underworld and when he was satisfied with the distance he had traveled he slowed to a walk and checked over his shoulder. "Looking for something, dear?" Hecate asked curiously, emerging from the air in front of him with a confident smirk. "I suppose that you were expecting to give me the slip. Sorry, while those clothes of yours are lovely…" She brandished one lantern as if in explanation. "You can't hide from me."

"I wasn't trying to." Ryker snarled at her. He was still lacking his usual ferocity in the words, but they served their purpose nonetheless. "I just wanted to get as far as I could from that River. Can't throw me back in if we aren't near it."

"Oh, you haven't noticed have you?" Hecate laughed and the lanterns glowed brighter for just a moment.

The sound of running water had Ryker whirling around and staring confusedly at the River Acheron which was flowing behind him. It was as though he had not run anywhere; he was exactly where he had emerged from the river. That left only one option. He had to fight the goddess, on her own territory where she was most powerful. A familiar, comforting, sense of recklessness rose up inside Ryker and he let out a soft laugh. "Fine." He said eagerly. The recklessness had replaced the uneasiness that the river had left him and he now realized the futility of running away. "Let's play."

"Interesting, you aren't the slightest bit afraid of me are you?" Hecate asked, swinging the lanterns at her sides in a back and forth motion. She seemed rather unhappy about the general lack of fear that Ryker was displaying. "I am more than the goddess of the crossroads you know. Magic, witchcraft, entrances,-."

She kept talking, but Ryker had stopped listening. The goddess of entrances could be of great use to him. "Well then, let's make a deal shall we?" Ryker grinned at her with a wild ferocity.


	56. Erebus

"You… I'm going to kill you." Ryker snarled, though his heavy breathing somewhat detracted from the ferocity of the words. Hecate had proven to be quite the elusive opponent, in every sense of the word. Sometimes she would simply dodge out of the way of his fists, and others she would simply vanish on the spot only to reappear a few feet away. Every time she avoided him she would laugh and taunt him. This had been going on for the better part of an hour and Ryker was no closer to catching the elusive goddess than he had been when he had first begun this fight.

"Tell me, do you truly believe that?" Hecate inquired with genuine curiosity. "After all this time? If so, I am not sure whether you are simply stupid or you are just that stubborn."

Ryker growled in anger but the noise only made Hecate laugh again. In every sense of the term, Ryker had been backed into a corner. The River Acheron flowed only a few feet behind him and the goddess Hecate would pull him back to the riverside every time that he tried to run away. _If only I had a weapon…_ Ryker thought desperately, glancing behind him to take yet another look at his former prison. He could almost feel the River calling to him. Almost like the water was aware that it had escaped and it wanted him back within its depths. The thought of returning to that was enough to send a shiver of fear running through the demigod.

After acknowledging that fear, Ryker waited a full minute before slowly staring down at his hands. The wild instincts that had always taken over when he felt fear were gone, or rather, they weren't there. He was still in full control of his actions and the familiar sensation of being underwater was completely absent. Hecate seemed to read the expression of surprise and then doubt that flitted across his face and let out a small laugh again. "Let me guess, that little trick that lets you fight like a beast not working?" She asked, smirking. "Allow me to illuminate you to something: you are dead. The abilities of being a demigod only come with being alive. You may have a body for now, but once I put you back in the River you will return to being nothing but a damned spirit. And this time you won't escape."

"You seem sure of that." Ryker countered, returning his full attention to the goddess and crouching into a ready position.

"Oh, I am very sure." Hecate smiled coldly at him. "You know, there are many ways that the gods monitor the power of demigods such as yourself. In life we keep you focused on how we are the ones who gave you your power, and in death we take that power back. In the Underworld no fallen demigod has any power. That, coupled with the luxury of Elysium, ensures that there will be no uprising from the demigods. But you just had to begin causing waves, didn't you? Your blatant disrespect for the gods and everything that we had accomplished led to many…. Unwelcome questions by the other demigods. But you don't even know that, do you?"

"I don't care about how you control the demigods, or any of that." Ryker answered back through gritted teeth. "But I will be damned if anyone can keep me caged."

"Brave words." Hecate sneered at him. "But you have seen just how well you fare when you have no powers."

Ryker opened his mouth to speak when another voice laughed out from somewhere in the darkness. "Oh, I wouldn't say he is powerless anymore."

Hecate whirled around, her lanterns blazing out so brightly that they were nearly blinding. The darkness retreated several dozen yards until a man, garbed in the same dark clothing that Ryker was. A large scythe as dark as the night itself was strapped to the man's back, though he appeared to not be at all concerned with its weight. Ryker did not recognize the man, but Hecate clearly did. She looked at the man with a combination of fear, disbelief, and uncertainty. "You." She said slowly, "What do you want?"

"Well, that is actually a very long list." The man chuckled softly. "But, for now, I think that assisting this young man with his fight against you would be a good start. I've never been a fan of unfair fights. Let's make this a bit more even, shall we?"

Hecate's eyes widened at the same time that Ryker's did when the man's shadow that Hecate's lanterns had cast suddenly rushed forward and enveloped Ryker, smothering him in darkness. For a moment Ryker could not breathe and he thought for certain that he was going to die. Again. While already dead. But before Ryker could consider the irony of this, or mount an escape attempt, the darkness rescinded back to the man's shadow and Ryker was left standing.

"You know, it's an odd thing that most people choose to ignore." The man told them in a tone similar to that of a lecturer. "Shadows that is. Everyone is born with one, though they don't always really pay attention to it. Like at night for instance. They assume it is gone, but that's not true. A shadow is a part of them as much as their lungs. They only get one shadow after all."

"What did you do, Erebus?" Hecate demanded, glaring suspiciously at Ryker. Ryker glared back and clenched his fists- Ryker's jaw dropped open and he slowly lowered his gaze to where the stump of his hand should have been. But in lieu of a stump was… his hand. His true hand. Ryker slowly raised the hand before his eyes and flexed every one of his fingers. They responded perfectly, just as they had before it hand been severed. He rolled his wrist and a slow smile began to creep over his face.

"Oh, I simply evened the playing field for you two." Erebus laughed softly. He looked away from Hecate and nodded at Ryker. "Worry not, that is your hand. Try not to lose it again, that trick won't work a second time."

"I am indebted to you." Ryker did something that he had only done once before, he lowered his head quickly in deference before snapping his gaze back to Hecate. He felt _good. Alive._ It was as though someone had shot his body full of the essence of life itself, which may very well have been the case. The River Acheron no longer called to him. He no longer felt weak, and more than that he could feel the familiar feeling of the wild instinct howling beneath the surface of his skin. His hands suddenly felt strange and when he looked down he saw a shadowy claw overtop of them. He glanced questioningly to Erebus and the man merely smiled.

"I thought that, considering your rather poor history regarding your claws, that you would agree that these would be better. They are completely yours to summon and dismiss as you see fit."

A reckless laugh was ripped from Ryker as he shifted into a ready crouch and fixed Hecate in his sight. "Oh, you are _mine._ " Ryker promised as he crossed the ground between them in a single bound.

The goddess's face paled in fear and she vanished into a cloud of Mist, just as Ryker cut through where she had been standing. He skidded to a stop and searched for the goddess, but she did not reappear. "Coward!" Ryker roared, whirling in a small circle. "Show yourself!"

"She's gone, Ryker." Erebus chuckled, striding up to him out of the darkness. It took several second for Ryker to pick him out of the gloom, his clothes merging with the darkness around him. "Gone to report your escape to Hades, or perhaps even Thanatos."

"Why did you help me?" Ryker asked bluntly, unconcerned with Hecate's intentions. "What do you want?"

"Oh, I merely want to see how this all plays out." Erebus laughed softly. "You might not believe this, but I happen to enjoy watching the struggles that the gods, demigods, and monsters constantly go through."

"I believe it." Ryker said sourly. He curled his hands into a fist and the claws dissolved into nothingness. "But that doesn't explain why you helped me."

"Do you know who I am, Ryker?" Erebus inquired. The blank look that Ryker sent him was all the answer he needed. "I suppose not. As Hecate called me, I am Erebus. The God of Darkness. The consort to Nyx. I am, by my own reckoning at least, one of the oldest beings on this planet. Older than the Gods, older than Kronos. I am older than Tartarus."

"That doesn't explain why you chose to help me." Ryker countered, glaring at him slightly.

"Well, if I am being honest with you I have grown bored." Erebus admitted. "The constant power struggles between mortals is… no longer amusing to me. When Caesar was around however, now that was enjoyable to watch. Lately though, conflict is just boring. But _you_ however, you promise to stir up something interesting. I've been keeping a very close eye on you ever since your existence was discovered. I know what you have planned, and I am most eager to see how it plays out."

"If you know what I am here for, you should assist me." Ryker told him.

"More so than I already have?" Erebus laughed and shook his head vigorously. "I don't think so. I wouldn't have interfered with Hecate, but I doubt that you would have been able to escape the Acheron twice. At least, not in this century. And for an immortal, I lack patience."

"So you won't help me?" Ryker glared at him in full now, crossing his arms.

"Where's the fun in that?" Erebus spread his arms wide and the gloom of the Underworld grew just a bit darker. "If I were to help you too much that just wouldn't be very fun. Both sides have to have a sporting chance after all. But I am not entirely going to let you wander off blindly. Your right hand, check the back of it."

Ryker followed his instruction and glanced down at his hand. On his flesh was the tattoo of a dark arrow. As Ryker moved his hand the arrow continued pointing in a single direction, no matter how he twisted or turned. "It's a compass." He stated.

"Correct." Erebus gleamed. "But that one does not point north. That one points to your destination… at least the one I want you to go to. But, hey, I have to throw my two cents in at some point, right?"

"Where are you sending me?" Ryker demanded.

"Oh, worry not, I'm sure that you will survive. Probably." Erebus began to fade into the gloom before pausing and glancing back towards Ryker. "Remember what I said. Your shadow brought you back to life and restored your hand. It won't be able to do so again… at least not for a couple centuries."


	57. Journey

Skeletons, as Ryker quickly discovered, were far more of a nuisance than he would have initially given them credit for. After Erebus vanished and Ryker went off in the direction that the compass pointed him the demigod quickly discovered that the Underworld had far more tricks up its sleeve. The skeletons had been pulling themselves from the ground with an annoying regularity and they had an even more irritating tendency to avoid staying down. In fact, as Ryker learned, destroying them wasn't always in his best interest. When they reformed they wouldn't always take their original form. This was even more difficult as the skeletons were not only human. Animal and monster skeletons were pulled from the ground just as frequently as human ones. As Ryker now saw, they would occasionally come together to form a monstrous bone behemoth. He had shredded close to thirty skeletons with contemptuous ease and they had now compiled into the monster he now faced. "You are really pissing me off." Ryker snapped, staring at the monster.

The monstrosity did not even remotely resemble a human skeleton, or indeed any beast that Ryker had ever faced. He leapt back just as one of the creature's massive arms swung forward in an attempt to grab him. That was one of the other annoying things about the skeletons. They weren't trying to kill him, they were attempting to capture him. He had been grabbed once when a skeleton had emerged from the dirt beneath him and grabbed his ankle. He had been pulled down to mid-calf before managing to free himself. Ryker leapt forward and landed lightly on the skeleton monster's exposed arm. The demigod ran up the bone and up the creature's back until he was at the back of what he presumed was the creature's head. The kick he planted at the twisted skull's base was enough to shatter the bones that made it up and send them flying away. Ryker managed to retain his balance as the monster began to fall apart. That was the only weakness the seemingly endless creatures had. Remove the head and the body would fall. But it didn't last long. Ryker had only just landed on the ground before the bones began to rattle again and began to reform themselves into yet another atrocity.

"Go to hell." Ryker growled at them, turning heel and sprinting away from them. He glanced down at his hand corrected his course as the arrow indicated a change in direction. He had been following Erebus's little guide for hours and thus far the landscape had not changed even in the slightest. He had not even come across one of the other rivers that were supposed to flow through the Underworld. In fact the only other signs of life he had come across, and this irony was enough to make even Ryker slightly amused, had been the skeletons. While a waste of time in search of his goals, Ryker had learned something from his battles against the skeletons. The claws that Erebus had given him were far more than the god had let on. The further that Ryker fell into his wild instincts, the farther the shadows crept up his arms. But they were not like the blessing that Ares had given him in that it was a mere aura, no, the shadows took form as they traveled. His arms had been covered in dark, extremely strong scales that the skeletons simply could not pierce. In between battles, and before the shadows retreated back down his arms, Ryker had tested the scales. He ran his claws along his bicep and was pleased to see that scales fully protected his flesh, even against his own claws. This development made Ryker want to see what would happen if the shadows were to envelop his entire body, but they acted completely independent of his own will. He could only summon his claws, the shadows ignored his other orders.

The skeletons continued to pull themselves from the earth as Ryker ran, but they were slow creatures, even the skeletons of the animals. They couldn't hope to catch Ryker, and he no longer had any desire to waste more time fighting an endless battle with them. He wasn't sure what they did after he was far past them, but he assumed they simply returned to the earth. "Or they are forming one massive beast." Ryker muttered, the thought actually giving him momentary pause. A beast formed of the hundreds of skeletons he had passed would be nigh on impossible for him to overcome. He checked the arrow again and cursed as it suddenly jerked to the right and forced Ryker to alter his course yet again. He ran for perhaps fifteen more minutes before finally coming across a change of scenery. A single sliver of silver in the earth. Ryker slid to a stop right before the oddity and bent down to examine it. He reached out and placed a hand on the metal and blinked in surprise. All of a sudden, for no reason at all, he felt himself become… cheerful. He removed his hand immediately and glared suspiciously at the silver metal. He touched it again and the feeling of joy returned instantly. It was nice, but the feeling was odd for the demigod who had spent so many days being wary of happiness as such feelings led to carelessness. He slowly got to his feet again and checked the compass. He set off once more, at a walking pace this time. He had gone perhaps one hundred meters when he realized that the skeletons were no longer coming from the ground in their attempt to capture him.

Ryker stepped over the silver metal and continued on his way to where the directional arrow took him. After several hundred feet his ears picked up something that seemed out of place in the Underworld. Laughter. Sounds of pleased excitement. Happiness. They were as out of place as he was, perhaps even more so. He quickly scaled a jagged stone mountain, carefully avoiding the strips of silver metal that now appeared with far greater frequency. At the summit he gazed over the scene that was before him with no small measure of disbelief. A massive city that was seemingly hewn from the same silver metal that he had encountered was before him, and the citizens of that city were going about their tasks with beatific grins all over their faces. Their clothes were spun from all the brightest colors of the rainbow, with not a dark color in sight. Ryker wasn't entirely certain what the inhabitants were doing or if they were even human, but they seemed very content.

"Wonderful, isn't it?" Erebus asked, appearing from the darkness at Ryker's side. The demigod glanced over, not at all surprised by Erebus's appearance. He glanced over at the god and scowled. Eerbus smiled at him, unconcerned with his fearsome expression. "Elysium. The place that heroes go after they die. Not quite the best the Underworld has to offer, but good enough."

"Is she here?" Ryker asked, returning his gaze to the silver city. The god's appearance only served to further irritate him.

"I hope so." Erebus said loftily, scratching the back of his head. "If not that means you have to go to that other place, and that is quite the journey. Much farther than this."

"Why didn't you just transport me here?" Ryker demanded. "I know that must be within your capabilties."

"Oh, yes of course." Erebus shrugged. "But if I take too much action things will be so much more boring."

"Hmph." Ryker grunted. "How will I find her down there? There must be thousands of people!"

"Millions actually." Erebus corrected in a most unhelpful way. "But don't worry, the ones you see are simply the mortal souls whom are worthy enough. The demigods stay in a different area."

"Where?" Ryker asked.

Erebus glanced at him and laughed before vanishing without another word. Ryker suppressed an angry growl and began to quickly pick his way down the stone mountain with ease. When he finally reached the bottom he realized that finding the demigods wouldn't be the only problem he faced. The _entire_ city seemed to be made from the happiness-inducing silver metal. And Ryker had the sneaking suspicion that his clothes would not entirely protect him from the silver's properties. He made his way to the city's edge warily, his eyes darting around for some sign of defenses or anything of the like to prevent someone from entering. There wasn't even a single wall to protect the inhabitants. He warily stepped onto the silver bricks and immediately he knew that his suspicion was correct. The fabric greatly reduced the joy that the metal brought him, but it did not completely erase it. It was manageable however, and Ryker was able to press on without standing in one spot beaming like a fool. The search for the demigods in Elysium had begun.

Leo could not believe his eyes, and from the expressions of his friends neither could they. They stood in a loose circle, staring down at the spot where Ryker's body had fallen and been left. "There's no way." Percy said through gritted teeth, his eyes flashing dangerously. "He was dead. I _made sure_ he was dead."

It was true. After the arrows had punctured Ryker's skull and chest Percy has beaten the corpse repeatedly with water ripped from the earth until Ryker's bones had been reduced to powder and more cuts that anyone cared to count had marred his skin. Percy had only stopped after Frank ordered him to be taken away. The unfortunate guards who had been assigned the task were punched, kicked, and cursed as Percy fought to continue his onslaught against the corpse of the man who had killed the woman he loved. That had been a side of Percy that Leo, or anyone else present, had never seen before. It was true savagery that only a shattered heart could have brought about.

"I doubt very much that he walked away." Frank said, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Leo felt for the big man. Monster attacks had become more and more common until two attacks in a day was considered a good one. Dozens of Romans had already fallen and the Senate had been forced to call older members of the Legion out of retirement to bolster their ranks. Old gray-haired men and women, college age kids, and mothers and father with young children clinging to their skirts arrived in droves to bolster their numbers. But even with that Leo knew that they were fighting a losing battle. The Greeks had fared no better, and the gods had grudgingly admitted a need for the two camps to merge if they were to survive this. Thus far the gods had been little help other than to provide mental encouragement and to help them around the camp. The only god who had taken an active role in the camp's defense has been Ares/Mars depending on the day. By all account Mars was the more helpful, providing weapons and shields to supplement the broken ones. Ares on the other hand simply assisted them on the battlefield by growing to twenty feet tall and doing his best to terrify the monsters into submission. The strategy had worked for a couple battles but it quickly lost its effectiveness when the monsters realized that he was not actually fighting.

Leo had asked his father why the gods were not assisting more directly and his father had simply said, "Because Zeus wills it to be so. He does not want us to waste our energy protecting our children."

"Wasting your energy." Leo had repeated incredulously.

Back at the place Ryker's body had laid, the leaders of the camps exchanged uneasy glances. "You don't think that there is a way that they could have brought him back… do you?" Piper asked quietly, voicing a silent worry that each of them had.

"I hope so." Percy muttered darkly, his hands tightening into a fist. The loss of Annabeth had been hard on him, and Leo worried for his friend. Hatred never ended well, and the want for revenge coupled with that was especially dangerous.

"I don't think so." Nico said confidently, stepping out of Frank's shadow. He had been there the entire time, but the son of Hades apparently had a love for making an entrance. "I went to the Underworld and spoke to Minos. Ryker was sentenced to the River Acheron. He isn't coming back."

"But why did they take his body then?" Hazel wondered, kicking the dirt lightly where Ryker's head had laid. "What did they want it for?"

As the demigod leaders of each camp voiced their thoughts and opinions on the subject, several hundred yards away Orion muttered the same question to himself. Who had taken Ryker's body, and why?


	58. Power

He wasn't positive, but Ryker had a sneaking suspicion that he greatly preferred monsters to mortals. Monsters at least had a goal in mind: to devour demigods. Even in death, the lack of direction that the mortals of Elysium had was almost enough aggravation to completely counteract the happiness that the silver metal imparted in him. But not quite. Many of the mortals that he passed were rooted to one spot, the happiness pouring through them causing them to simply stand there with a dumbfounded expression. The other mortals who were not similarly captivated were almost more annoying. They consistently tried to strike up a conversation with Ryker about anything that struck their fancy, their faces in constant beatific grins.

"Pretty cool place, eh?" One particularly energetic mortal asked Ryker, patting him on the back as the demigod passed him by. "How did you die?"

Ryker did not even bother to look at the words' source, choosing to instead continue on his way. But this mortal was a persistent one. He followed Ryker like a lost puppy, chattering away even though he never got a word in response. Other mortals seemed to find some enjoyment in the man's plight to follow the demigod, possibly sensing that he was not like them, and joined the man until Ryker had a veritable train of mortal souls following him. _It's a good thing that the Acheron isn't here._ Ryker thought to himself, amused. _I would like to see if they would jump in there._

But the thought was nothing more than an attempt to dismiss some of the happiness from his mind. It was making him relax, far too much than a hunter had any right to. And being relaxed on a hunt led to shortsightedness and missing obvious signs. For all Ryker knew he had passed the barrier between the demigods and the mortals several times. Taking a deep breath, he slowed to a stop and glanced behind him to the massive train of mortals he had accumulated. They beamed back at him and, for whatever reason, broke into applause. Ryker blinked in surprise but could not bring himself to scowl. "I'm looking for something." He began, slightly uncertainly.

"You can do it!"

"We'll help you!"

"Life is all about looking! Not sure about death though…"

Ryker looked at the mortals in disbelief and blinked several times, thrown by the sudden encouragement. "Is there some place here that you can't go? Possibly because of a wall, or a guardian?"

"Oh, you mean the Line!" One of the mortals shouted, clearly happy to be of help. "Yeah we can't go there. Impossible to pass."

"You can do it though!" Another one immediately reassured him.

"You just have to believe in yourself!" Another recommended.

"And be a good person!"

"That's not a requirement." An old gray-haired woman corrected with a smile. "But I am sure this young man is a lovely person."

Ryker shook his head while a smile played at his lips. This metal was truly infuriating, but if it made mortals more amicable to helping him perhaps he could use it. "Can you take me there?" He asked with icy politeness.

The mortals were only too happy to help. What would have taken Ryker hours if not days to find only took the mortals, who were admittedly familiar with the place, several minutes. They showed Ryker to a place where the buildings that filled Elysium disappeared and showed a large expanse of the silver metal. The expanse of the happiness-metal was perhaps two hundred yards wide and at the far end was a wall of no more than fifteen feet. But that was not what drew the attention of the mortals. One of them placed an arm around Ryker's shoulder and pointed to the center of the silver field. "That's the Line." He explained, indicating a red line that shimmered in the air. "I've tried to pass it a time or two, but it won't let me. But that's fine, there's always next time!"

Ryker carefully extracted himself from under the arm and stepped away from the mortals. "I thank you," He said a tad grudgingly. "For your assistance. Goodbye."

Without another word Ryker strode away towards the Line with the encouragement from the mortals at his back. He crossed the Line with no issue, which almost surprised him. "It must be used to keep the mortals from entering the demigods' territory." He muttered, striding purposefully up to the wall. It was made out of what appeared to be simple stone, but Ryker was wary of it nonetheless. He touched one hand to the cold rock and frowned. The stone offered nothing in the way of handholds or purchases which he could use to climb. "Funny, isn't it?" An all too familiar voice inquired from atop the wall.

Ryker looked up and saw Erebus lounging on the stone, staring down at him with an amused smile. "What's funny?" Ryker asked, not at all seeing what was humorous about his situation even with the happiness inducing metal affecting him.

"You can't pass into the part of Elysium you want without crossing this stone wall, and you can't." Erebus chuckled again and crossed his hands behind his head as he laid down and stared up at the dark sky of the Underworld.

Not at all one to back down from such an obvious challenge, Ryker summoned his claws and struck at the wall. He had been intending to gouge a furrow in the rock that he could use to propel himself upward, but the stone remained unscarred and fully intact. The demigod tried several more times and failed each consecutive attempt. "What is this? Ryker demanded, thoroughly vexed by the stone.

"Nothing that any mortal could hope to harm." Erebus told him most unhelpfully. "You aren't going to get over this wall with force. And I won't-."

"Yeah, yeah." Ryker frowned at Erebus. "You won't interfere because it makes things less enjoyable for you. I've heard that before."

"Well then, you better figure out another way over." Erebus advised him.

Doing as the primordial god recommended, Ryker began to pace up and down the wall. He attacked the stone in several places and walked for many miles down each side. To his annoyance he found that the wall did not seem to end at any point. Each time that he passed Erebus the man merely chuckled and continued resting atop the stone. After several hours of walking back and forth Ryker had reached the end of his rope and even the metal could not pull him from the dark mood that had settled over him. "How am I to get over this wall if it doesn't end?"

"Well of course it doesn't end." Erebus told him, finally sitting up. "Well, to be fair it does end. But the wall forms several hundred feet in front of you so that you won't ever be able to see it. It goes away after you are out of the area. Is that helpful?"

"I don't know, is it?" Ryker snapped.

"Not really." Erebus said almost regretfully. "But there is a way over, I will tell you that."

"What is it then?" Ryker demanded, not at all happy to be toyed with.

"Jump over." Erebus said simply, as if the answer was the most obvious thing in the world.

Ryker looked at him incredulously as though the god was mad. Perhaps he was. He certainly seemed like it. "Jump over?" He repeated. "As though it is that simple."

"Why isn't it?" Erebus countered. "A deer could do it if absolutely necessary."

"I am not a deer." Ryker snarled.

"Perhaps a jaguar then?" Erebus suggested brightly. "If memory serves they have excellent jumping capabilities."

"I am not an animal." Ryker hissed through gritted teeth.

"Oh, are you not?" Erebus asked, surprised. "I have seen you fight before you know. But you don't realize it, do you? What happens when you… lose yourself to the bliss of fighting?"

"I don't know what you mean." The demigod answered slowly.

Erebus slowly laid back down on the wall and stared up at the Underworld's ceiling again. "That doesn't surprise me. Suffice to say you are more than capable of surpassing this wall. You know that you have accomplished feats of physical prowess that should be far beyond demigods. But then again, demigods in of themselves are capable of fantastic feats. I can't say that I have seen many humans who can manipulate elements or summon the dead."

"Speak plainly!" Ryker snapped, quickly growing with fed up with the indirect way that Erebus spoke. "How does any of that help me get over this wall?"

"Your friend Percy can control water at will. Jason can control the wind. Hazel can manipulate the mist." Erebus informed him in a rather bored tone. "Who is to say that you can't control your own abilities?"

"What abilities?" Ryker demanded.

"Your ability to channel the abilities and strengths of all manner of beasts." Erebus vanished and reappeared behind Ryker, his face alive with energy. "The same ability that takes control of you during a battle. Tell me, do you know how it can do so?"

Ryker looked at the god in mounting confusion and Erebus smirked. "I thought as much. Let me illuminate you in that case. The reason that you fall under its power so easily is because you are _weak._ "

"W-weak?" Ryker repeated, the blood draining from his face. The shadowy claws sprang forth seemingly of their own accord and Erebus glanced down at them with morbid amusement.

"There it is." Erebus said, almost tauntingly. "That anger. The rage that lets you use your power. Or perhaps it is the other way around? Maybe it is your power that is using _you_. I've seen such things happen before, it wouldn't surprise me."

"I am _not_ weak!" Ryker growled.

Erebus vanished and appeared back on top of the wall. One leg swung back and forth as he rested his arms on his other. "Well then, proving me wrong shouldn't be that hard. Master your ability and ascend this wall. Or you can keep trying to find another way across. It won't work but you are welcome to try."


	59. An Old Face

Death was simply a part of life. But it was even more so for a demigod. It just wasn't one that Annabeth truly worried about. Not for herself at least. For Seaweed brain and the others, sure. But herself? She never really considered even the possibility of her own death happening before the others. Leo had shown her just how quickly someone could be taken from her and since then, and even before, she had no intention of letting the ones he loved died. Which, in hindsight, might have led to her current situation.

Dying was not even as bad as she had always thought it would be. She would never have wanted to go through it again, obviously, but it was not nearly as scary as she had expected. It had been as simple as blinking. One moment she was at Camp Jupiter, the next moment the ferryman had taken her across the river. The judges had taken less than ten seconds before sending her to Elysium, something she had been proud of at the time. Her arrival had been an event tinged with both happiness and regret. Some of the friends she had lost over the years were there to meet her, including Zoe Nightshade. They had expressed their joy in seeing her and had abruptly offered their condolences soon after. Immediately Annabeth had questioned about reincarnation and the others simply shrugged helplessly. "Thanatos is in charge of that." Charles Beckendorf had told her after she informed him of Silena's situation and questioned him in return. "I've seen a couple people ask to be reincarnated and Thanatos is usually pretty on top of it. They just say his name and ask to be reincarnated and he shows up. He takes them aside and questions them a bit, and if they still want to go he takes their hand and they disappear. If not he just pats them on their back and leaves by himself. Lately though… he hasn't been showing up. Some of the other new arrivals have been giving us bits and pieces of what has been going on so I can sort of get that Thanatos is sort of busy."

"He certainly has a lot to do." Annabeth had sighed. She was curious about reincarnation more out of simply fascination than actual will to leave. She wanted to see Percy again, no matter how long it took. Besides, there was a lot to do in Elysium. Games were a regular occurrence and everyone was always laughing and smiling despite the fact that they were dead.

Annabeth's surprise when she was gazing out over the silver expanse that separated them from the mortals and saw the very person that killed her vault over the wall merged in the silvery outline of a deer could not be understated. She blinked several times as she watched the deer shimmer and fade away and Ryker slowly straightened from the crouch he had landed in. A wave of rage swept across her and had she been armed she would have drawn her weapon. Even the silver happy metal could not sweep aside her rage as she marched across the area to where Ryker stood. He was speaking in heated tones with someone on the wall that Annabeth did not bother to look at. The person on the wall evidently said something and Ryker turned around in surprise with just enough time for his head to be wrenched to the side at the force of the punch that Annabeth hit him with. He staggered away, a hand going to his jaw where she had hit him and an incredulous look on his face. "You have no idea how good that felt." Annabeth told him venomously, striding towards him and drawing her fist back for another blow.

Shadowy claws sprouted from Ryker's hands but he did not take a defensive stance. He ground his teeth together in frustration as Annabeth swung at him again, hitting him on the other side of his face this time. He didn't stagger away like he had the first time, but his head wrenched to the side from the sheer force. "You _killed_ me!" Annabeth screeched, grabbing the front of his shirt and shaking him. "We trusted you! All of us! Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood! We even quested with you! Nico _saved_ you! And you turn on us?! Just so that you can return to your stupid forest?! Are you that antisocial?!"

"I like her." A cheerful voice interjected, chuckling. "She has spunk… for a dead girl. And, bright side, you don't have to look for her! She found you!"

"You aren't helping!" Ryker snarled, banishing his claws. He grabbed Annabeth's hands as she continued to rant at him and shake him and removed them from his shirt. "Calm yourself!" he barked.

"Why should I?!" Annabeth screamed, thrashing and pulling away from him. "Do you know how many of my friends you killed? Do you even care?! They had families!"

"Nineteen." Ryker told her firmly. "I killed nineteen of your friends. And I am well aware that they had families."

"And you think you can just waltz in here?!" Annabeth hissed. "Like nothing ever happened?"

"Well, no." Ryker told her curtly. "Considering I couldn't even be here if I wasn't dead."

That gave Annabeth pause for a moment before her eyes widened and her face paled. "You are dead…? And the judges sent you _here?!_ Where heroes go?! You are no-."

"The judges damned me to the River Acheron." Ryker growled, finally losing his patience. "Do not presume to understand what I endured to come here. And I most certainly did not come here for you to rant and scream at me like some wingless harpy!"

"Then why did you come?" Annabeth demanded, not backing down an inch. "I know you aren't here to apologize. And how did you die? Percy?"

"I'm sure he wishes he was the one who killed me, but no. That would be Orion." Ryker smirked at the confusion and surprise that flitted across Annabeth's face. He waited a moment before finishing. "As we planned."

"As-as you planned?" Annabeth repeated confusedly. "You _planned_ on dying?"

"I was never going to walk out of that camp alive. But, then again, neither were you. We knew that they would discover my presence the moment I stepped into Camp Jupiter. My death, and yours, needed to come to pass." Ryker thoroughly enjoyed watching the medley of emotions that flashed across Annabeth's face. Even Erebus chuckled several times and shook his head where he sat on top of the wall.

"Why?" Annabeth asked simply once she had found her voice again. "Why would you plan on dying? And why kill me?"

"Because I need someone who can lead the army of demigods back from the dead." Ryker said, before pausing and amending the statement. "Actually, Orion does. This was his plan. The choice of _who_ I would send to the Underworld to meet was up to me. With your eye for strategy and your connection with many of the demigods, you were the most sensible target."

"Lead them back from the… dead." Annabeth repeated, fury again overtaking her features. "Are you that stupid? You threw your life away and killed me just because Orion told you to? We are DEAD! There is no coming back! That's why it's called DEATH!"

"Actually, Nico proved that to be false." Ryker disagreed, crossing his arms. "So long as Thanatos is not governing the souls of Elysium nothing can stop them from escaping to the surface and reclaiming their former lives."

"So what?" Annabeth demanded. "Did you kill us just to resurrect us?"

"Something like that." Ryker answered, shocking Annabeth once more. "My targets were always ones given to me by Orion. My targets were always influential demigods. Ones that were strong, strong enough to cause trouble should they become like Gina. That's why Orion only took demigods that were well-known but not particularly strong. I hardly think that a son of the wine god would prove a very effective weapon. Gina was an example of that. But if one of the children of the more powerful gods that would cause much bigger problems. No one, not even Orion, knows how Tartarus managed to corrupt and turn Gina into… whatever that thing was. But we do know why. When I met Rhea she told me that-."

"That Tartarus had already procured the weapon that was able to kill even the gods." Annabeth finished, her rage having finally slightly abated. She put one hand on her hip and jerked a thumb back towards the main area of Elysium. "Come on, the others you killed will want to hear this too."

"Bad idea." Erebus advised cheerfully. "My son Thanatos has a truly lovely knack for knowing when an unwelcome soul is among those that he governs. Hecate probably told him you escaped the river as well. He will be searching for you, and a battle here against him would be sheer suicide. And those who die in the Underworld truly cease to exist, soul and all. But, that's just my opinion. If you are dead set on visiting with your friends I look forward to seeing you fight Thanatos. It should prove to be a lovely spectacle."

"For someone who claims that he doesn't want to help, you do a lot of talking." Ryker remarked, scowling. Erebus merely smiled in response.

"So, why did Orion have the sudden change of heart?" Annabeth asked suspiciously. "Why does he want to help the gods?"

"We don't." Ryker answered simply. "We simply don't want Tartarus to win."

"So, let me rephrase, why did _you_ have the sudden change of heart?"

Frowning, Ryker blew out a sigh. He knew that Annabeth had zero intention of helping him unless he convinced her well and truly that they were no longer enemies. "Because Tartarus's goal is to wipe out all life on the planet. Plants, trees, beasts, humans, monsters. Everything. All gone." His expression grew dark. "As much as I resent the gods for dragging me into this, I will not stand idly by and watch as my forest is destroyed and all the creatures of the world along with it. The gods might toy with their children like a game, but they do not believe in rampant destruction."

The three fell into silence while Annabeth stared deeply into Ryker's eyes, searching for something. Eventually she gave a small nod as though she saw something in their forest green depths. "Fine. I'll speak to the others." She gave Ryker one last hard look. "But even if I can put together an army, it doesn't mean anything if we can't leave here. And Thanatos won't let that happen no matter what. You will have to do something about that."

"Don't you worry about that." Ryker told her. "Thanatos will be dealt with. You only have a few days, so make sure that you hurry and gather them."

"While I am doing that, what are you going to do?" Annabeth asked, catching the separation.

Ryker glanced over to Erebus and the primordial god smiled knowingly and disappeared once again. "I'm going to Tartarus to free the taken demigods. One way or the other. Orion says that they are still alive, or they were the last time that he was there. So long as there is a chance, I have to try."

"Why the sudden compassion?" Annabeth asked again, her voice soft. "They… they haven't come here so they must be alive. How will you save them? How will you find them?"

"I'm a hunter, Annabeth." Ryker said with a sly grin. "Tracking is just one of my many talents."


	60. Anti

This attack was different than the last. The previous monster attacks had been sudden, unpredictable things. This attack however had been announced. In truth, Jason wasn't even sure that it _was_ an attack. A horn had sounded in the distance, one that was neither Greek nor Roman, and the two camps had immediately rushed into their battle formations. They had formed up directly in front of the camp, putting themselves between where the horn had sounded and the rest of New Rome. The monsters slowly filed out of the trees and the differences between this attack and the last simply continued. The monsters were all garbed in armor of some sort. It was red and seemed to be almost pulsing in a grotesque manner. Their weapons were just as bizarre, varying from simple human steel to Stygian iron to celestial bronze and several other metals Jason could not identify. But that was not what most caught Jason's eye. Next to the monsters, separated by several feet, was another rank of foes. But what Jason's eyes showed him simply could not be. Every demigod that had been taken was now standing easily next to the monsters, their expressions ranging from boredom to contempt. There wasn't a flicker of recognition in any of them, much less any joy about seeing their former comrades. He recognized all of them, he _knew_ all of them on a personal level. Every demigod standing opposite him he had shared a moment with, whether it was in the midst of battle or around a campfire. Others in the Greek and Roman ranks were dealing with similar conflicting emotions, calling out to their friends desperately, the monsters temporarily forgotten. Jason was so focused on the formerly missing campers that he nearly missed it when _they_ emerged from the forest where the monsters had come from.

Jason vaguely recalled Percy and Annabeth regaling him with their tale of facing down the monstrous Tartarus in his own domain and the terrible form he had taken. But evidently the primordial being had decided that the form he had shown them was not to his liking. His skin was a deep red, like the color of boiling lava, and flashes of light danced under his flesh. He wore a breastplate that seemed to be forged from the very souls of monsters as even as Jason watched terrified monstrous faces flashed across the metal only to be replaced by another. A cloak seemingly made of fire blazed behind him and the god wielded a wicked-looking spear in one hand, a shield as black as night in the other, and had a massive broadsword strapped across his back. He towered over even the largest of the Cyclopes in his army, putting him at well over twenty five feet tall.

Tartarus's form was so captivating that Jason had to do a double take when he glanced down at the god's feet and saw a familiar face smirking at him from across the field. "No way." He said disbelievingly, blinking several times to ensure that he understood what he was seeing. It was…. Ryker. But not like Jason had ever seen him. He was not wearing the customary dirty and ripped clothing that seemed to be the demigod's trademark. Instead he wore an immaculate set of dress clothes. Fine black dress pants, a long white T-shirt, and a silver vest over his chest without so much as a smudge of dirt or grime on them. Even his auburn hair was neatly combed away from his eyes. A saber hung from his hip in an Imperial gold scabbard, the hilt of the sword evidently made from some manner of silver metal. He had his hands in his pockets and a pleasant smile on his face. Every single detail of the son of Cybele screamed at odds with the Ryker that Jason knew.

"Quite the showing you have prepared for us." Ryker called pleasantly, his voice modulated and cultured, missing all of the roughness that it usually bore. "I do so hope that you won't disappoint us. We have been ever so looking forward to this fight for some time."

"How?" Jason instantly recognized the sound of Percy's voice, and the rage that caused it to tremor. "You _died_! I made sure of that!"

"Oh, you are quite right." Ryker chuckled cheerfully and his left hand traced the pattern on his saber's hilt. "Forgive me, I do not think we have been properly introduced. Judging from your anger and those green eyes, I assume that you must be Percy Jackson? Son of Poseidon? Ah, it is lovely to finally meet you! I have heard so much about you from the monsters, do try to live up to my expectations. I would so hate to kill you without my standards being met. It would be such a waste."

"I know who you are!" Percy hissed, uncapping Riptide and leveling it at Ryker. "You betrayed us!"

Ryker looked genuinely confused and frowned for a moment. He seemed to puzzle over this and then slowly shook his head. "No, I do believe that you have me mistaken for someone else. I am sure that we have never met before. You would not be standing there if we had. I have made it my personal standard to kill any demigod in service to those wretched gods. So, forgive me, you are clearly mistaken. Worry not, I have been told that I have a face that could be misconstrued for others. I'm sure that it will happen often enough."

This cultured and very proper Ryker standing before Jason was quickly annoying him, though he did not even know why. How dare he act like he did not know them, especially after betraying them? "Answer his question!" Jason shouted angrily. "You died!"

A look of comprehension passed over Ryker's face and he glanced up at Tartarus, who was watching this exchange with a satisfied smirk, with his eyebrow raised. "I assume that I knew them before I died?"

"Of course." Tartarus's voice rumbled across the clearing, scaring several birds from where they rested in the trees. "They were the ones who killed you."

Now it was Ryker's turn to look satisfied. "Ah, that makes sense." He nodded and turned his attention back to the assembled camps. "You understand if I do not recognize you. As I understand it dying has a tendency of taking one's memory. Fret not! I shall be most delighted to return the favor of you killing me ten-fold. You may die peacefully, knowing that vengeance has been served."

The simple and carefree way Ryker spoke of dying and killing sent shivers down Jason's spine. Ryker had enjoyed fighting before, but Jason knew that the demigod had never taken any pleasure in killing. Even working for Tartarus before being killed must have torn at the son of Cybele's heartstrings in such a way that must have been nigh on torturous. This Ryker though, this Ryker simply did not care. He glanced up and down the line of demigods and saw, with little surprise, that Ryker's words had taken a significant impact on their morale. Only Percy seemed unaffected, lost in his rage as he was. Piper, who was standing beside the son of Poseidon, frequently looked at her friend in worry as Riptide swung back and forth at his side. Percy's eyes were full of murderous intent, eager at his chance to kill Ryker himself in vengeance for Annabeth. The gods had taken positions among the demigods and even they were not smiling. Not even Dionysus, one of the few Greek gods who could maintain his form at New Rome, bore his customary bored look. Every one of them was filled with tension, their godly weapons in hand as they stared down their age old foe. Some of the gods who had children on the primordial god's side were looking at their offspring with concern or disgust. It seemed to Jason that there was truly no middle ground.

It looked as though Frank was about to launch the command to begin marching forward when Ryker loudly clapped his hands together, the sound like a gunshot across the tension filled clearing. "Well, as much as I would enjoy hamstringing each and every one of you, gods included worry not, I am afraid that we must be off." The monsters began to turn around and disappear back into the forest, followed by the demigods after the last monster had gone. Ryker and Tartarus were among the last to go. The son of Cybele was halfway to the trees when he paused and turned back to regard the assembled camps. "In case I wasn't clear, forgive me if so, but do I really have to state the obvious? This is a declaration of war. We will return in a week's time to slaughter each and every man, woman, and child. Do not fret, gods and goddesses, I will personally see to it that just as many of you are put to death. That is to say, all of you. We would be so appreciative if you make it worth our while. I am afraid that I do not foresee the mortals putting up much of a fight when we begin to eradicate them. Lack of magic and all, you understand. Well then! With that being said, I must be off. I wish all of you a pleasant day, truly. You do not have many left after all, and it is such a lovely one."

Ryker turned away again and took a step towards the forest when the sound of a bowstring thrumming came from over Jason's shoulder. A silver arrow streaked towards the demigod and, for a moment, it looked as though Ryker was doomed to die in the precise manner he had the first time. But with inhuman reflexes the demigod whirled around, his right hand covered in some manner of misty black substance. He placed the hand directly in front of the arrow's path and Artemis's projectile simply shattered into a thousand silver sparkles. It would have been quite a spectacular spectacle had the significance of what the camp just witnessed not dawned on each and every single person present. Even the gods looked stunned, none more so than Artemis.

Ryker lowered his hand and gazed at his palm, evidently disheartened. "A pity." He said heavily. "I was hoping that an arrow fired by the Goddess of the Hunt herself would at least shatter my arm. If that is truly the best you can offer, I am afraid that this battle will be over far sooner than I would like. Do try to put some more effort into killing me next time, would you?"

"Ryker!" A goddess stepped forward, a lion at her side and a worried expression on her face. "Stop this now!"

The demigod studied the goddess for a moment, his eyes glancing down to the lion, and then a slow smile began to creep over his face. It was a smile of such saintly joy that, for a moment, Jason thought that Cybele's words had actually reached her son. "Aah, Cybele!" Ryker said happily, the dark weapon that had surrounded his hand fading away, "I was hoping that you would be in your Greek aspect dear mother! If you had been in your Roman aspect I suspect that I would not glean as much satisfaction as I will from killing you in this form. Please ensure that none of my compatriots reach you before I do if you would be so kind. I would rather enjoy being the one whose hands' are coated in your blood. It will make a great day that much better. I am sure that you understand. Well I really must be going now. Things to do, people to kill. I really did mean what I sad, I hope you all have a positively lovely day. Farewell my wonderful victims!"

With that grim yet cheerful goodbye, Ryker strode purposefully away into the trees without so much as a backwards glance.


	61. Nyx

As far as traveling companions went, Erebus may very well have been the worst for Ryker. The already stressful journey through the Underworld was made even more so by the constantly disappearing and reappearing god. The commentary was even more unhelpful, and much more annoying. "You know, you could probably move a lot faster if you used your newfound ability." Erebus quipped, his hands in the pockets of a black and silver suit he had donned upon his last return. "You know, the one I showed you. The one that had been overwhelming you until I so kindly showed you how to control. Ringing any bells?"

"Maybe I would if you would tell me where I was going!" Ryker snapped, brandishing the compass. "Instead of following this thing!"

"No can do." Erebus smiled. "Although at your current pace you won't make it back in time for the party topside. Tartarus just revealed his army to your demigod friends and the gods. Apparently he is giving them a week's time to prepare themselves. You know, I may not like my brother but that was rather kind of him. Of course, he might only be doing that so his army of corrupted demigods can be satiated with an adequate battle. So maybe not so kind. Kind of sadistic now that I think about it."

"Do you ever stop talking?" Ryker wondered, vaulting over a waist high rock. Erebus's ramblings had long since become commonplace and the son of Cybele was more than used to them now. He sighed and shook his head, glancing up at the sky of the Underworld. "One week, huh? And you don't think we'll make it in time."

"At this pace?" Erebus repeated, "I sincerely doubt it. And, trust me, you don't want to be late to this particular gathering. Without an added boost your friends at Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood won't last more than a day. At most. Even with the gods' full support. Tartarus has many of the Giants and Titans fighting for him. In addition to that, Tartarus has procured a weapon capable of killing the gods."

"You and Rhea have both mentioned this weapon." Ryker noted, glancing back to Erebus and raising an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Demigods." Erebus said simply. "Well, in a manner of speaking at any rate. Demigods are the most dangerous thing for gods as they are capable of using divine abilities. You saw it yourself when you took on Python. Artemis's bow is absurdly powerful, capable of wounding Zeus himself. And each god has such weapons at their beck and call. Twisting and corrupting demigods so they can destroy the gods wouldn't even have been that hard I imagine. All Tartarus would have needed would have been a supply of demigods. That is where Orion came in."

"So how did he do it?" Ryker asked. "Orion said that they are still alive, the captured demigods that is. Why not just kill them?"

"In case he needs to make more." Erebus shrugged. "That would be my guess anyways. Maybe he just likes having them as ornaments. I understand that his realm isn't particularly decorative. A demigod or a couple dozen could really spruce up the place. Personally I would have hired a redecorator, but hey, I'm not judging."

"What do you mean, make more?" Ryker asked, keen to keep the conversation on track and Erebus away from one of his many tangents.

"The blood of demigods is powerful, extraordinarily so. Think of it like a liquid catalyst of the most dangerous proportions. And that is only if it is taken forcibly. If offered willingly the danger factor increases to a completely different level. My guess would be that Tartarus has been torturing your friends until they willingly parted with their blood. With blood willingly given by demigods and enough time, it is no surprise that Tartarus figured out a way to create his own army of corrupted demigods. My guess would be that they are nothing like the originals though. It's likely that their personalities were corrupted as well, not to mention the influence Tartarus has likely had on them. It would not surprise me in the least to discover that Tartarus has not even told them that they were copies. It would make it even easier for them to kill their friends, family, and the gods."

"I fought one already," Ryker said, recalling Gina's corrupted doppelganger. "They heal almost instantly, and they can even regrow severed limbs. I don't remember much from the fight, but I do remember that ripping out their hearts was one of the only ways to actually slow them down."

"Unsurprising." Erebus nodded. "It's likely that Tartarus created them exclusively for the purpose of being killing machines. Rapid healing and regeneration only make good sense. You would either need to exhaust them completely, as you did with Sciron, or give them an injury that they cannot heal from without outside help. They are not immortal, not as far as I can tell, but they are incredibly resilient."

"An army of them won't be easy to bring down." Ryker muttered, scowling at the thought. Even as much as he enjoyed fighting, the prospect of facing such an army was a daunting one at best.

"And that's just the corrupted demigods." Erebus said cheerfully. "Tartarus still has several hundred, perhaps thousands, of monsters at his beck and call as well. It wouldn't surprise me at all to find that he even called in some of the more heavy hitters. Python. Minotaur. The list goes on and on."

"I fail to see what you find so amusing in all of this." Ryker growled.

"I enjoy not knowing the outcome of things." Erebus said happily. "My powers of observation and forethought are exceptional, living for thousands of years has a tendency of doing that, and even I cannot begin to predict how this will play out. Will Tartarus win and wipe out all the life he deems worthless on the planet, or will you fulfill your prophecy and kill him? It is oh so interesting! That's why I am staying close by you. I do not want to miss a thing."

"You won't get to see a thing if I am stuck down here, trying to figure out where to go." Ryker informed him, turning to face the god and glaring. "Especially if I were to decide to say to hell with the others, they can fend for themselves."

"Well that would be even less than unhelpful." Erebus frowned, not at all liking the thought. "And not at all amusing for me. Please don't do that."

"I'm going to unless you take me to Tartarus, and to wherever you are having this thing take me." Ryker threatened, nodding at the compass. "Besides, I'm not using that ability unless I have to." That much was true. The first part was a bluff, mostly. He knew that he had no choice but to continue on his path if Erebus decided to remain true to his resolve and keep his interference to an absolute minimum. But Ryker was still slightly unsettled by his newfound control of his ability to take on the traits of animals. He had felt the animal's instincts as clearly as his own, and its desire to gain dominance of his body. It wasn't hard to understand how he had always lost control before. One animal was difficult, but the amount of alpha predators he had been channeling all at once was bordering on impossible. At the very least his control on them would be tentative. In addition to that using it in a fight could be suicide. From the moment he had channeled the deer he had been intending to use the animal's superior jumping ability, but it had not been easy to take. The deer's naturally skittish nature had taken time to overcome, time that he would not have on the battlefield. Ryker's only hope was that the apex predators he would be channeling would be far more at home on a battlefield than prey would be. So long as he could control their instincts.

Erebus looked at him for a long while before venting a huge sigh and shrugging noncommittally. "Fine, fine." He muttered clapping Ryker on the shoulder and gripping him tightly. "I was getting bored with just walking anyways. Maybe _she_ will give me a bit more excitement. Unless she is still angry with me. In which case she might just kill you out of hand."

"Who?" Ryker asked. He was going to say more, but darkness suddenly enveloped them and his breath was sucked away from him as Erebus's grip on his shoulder grew painfully tighter. When the darkness fell away from them Ryker staggered away, his eyes wild as he struggled to catch both his breath and his bearings. They were in some sort of palace, of that much he was instantly aware. Strange blue-fire torches lined the walls which seemed to be made out of Stygian Iron. The floor depicted various scenes on it, from the grimacing face of a very old woman to someone clearly suffering with an empty vial in their hand. Other horrible scenes were on the floor but before Ryker could study them his attention was drawn to a figure towering over him, a dark and terrible figure. His claws were out before he could consider the wisdom of the action and he had leapt backwards, falling into an easy defensive stance. The towering figure was a woman, a woman with eyes that seemed to be made from the stars themselves. It was difficult to tell exactly where she was looking, but it seemed to Ryker as though her attention was not on him. It was on Erebus.

"You!" She screeched, pointing one accusing finger at Erebus. "You have a lot of nerve showing yourself _here_! At _my_ house!"

"If memory serves this is my house as well." Erebus said uncomfortably, growing in stature until he matched the angry woman's height. "But I didn't come here to argue."

"Oh, THAT would be a first!" The woman snapped at him, waves of darkness rolling off her and moving across the floor like mist. Ryker backed up even further, interposing Erebus between himself and the woman. "Erebus coming to Nyx's house without the intention of starting an argument!"

"I never start arguments, you do!" Erebus argued, instantly rendering his statement as completely invalid. "I just defend my side! You are the one who always overreacts to every single thing I do!"

"You left!" Nyx raged. "You left and you didn't say a word!"

"I didn't leave for that long!" Erebus argued. "You are overreacting."

"THREE CENTURIES!" Nyx screamed, gesturing wildly. "You have been gone for three centuries! And you didn't tell me anything! I thought you died!"

"I'm immortal!" Erebus shot back. "How could I have died?!"

"Maybe you finally played with something that could kill you!" Nyx countered. "I know how you always like to play with things, following your petty little whims! Like that demigod you have with you now! You've spent more time with him than you have with me in the past three centuries! And he hasn't even been alive for most of them!"

"I haven't been here, of course I've spent more time with him!" Erebus said hotly. "And if this is how you are going to act now that I came back I'll have spent more time with him the next century too!"

"And whose fault is it that you haven't been here?" Nyx hissed.

Ryker's gaze flickered back and forth between the two massive immortals as they continued to argue, his eyebrows drawn together in confusion. He had told Erebus to bring him to the destination that he was intending for him to go to, which made no sense thus far. Why would he have told Ryker to go somewhere with such an irritable goddess? That seemed like the fastest way to get one killed. Just what could this Nyx have that would assist him in freeing the taken demigods?

"Alright, look, we can discuss this at a later date." Erebus said, abruptly bringing the argument to a close. Or at least attempting to. Nyx had different ideas.

"Oh, you mean so that you can disappear again?" She laughed shrilly, a rather terrifying sound coming from a massive goddess. "I think not! We can discuss this now!"

In that moment Erebus displayed more emotions than Ryker knew gods were capable of showing. "Look, I don't have that much time." Erebus said soothingly through gritted teeth. "I am on something of a schedule right now. I know that you are angry with me, and you can shout at me all you want later, but right now he needs your help." Erebus jerked a thumb over his shoulder to where Ryker stood, his claws still at his side.


	62. Deal

Before Nyx would even acknowledge Ryker she forced Erebus to leave so that they could 'Speak in private' as she put it before ordering her horses to escort Erebus out of the room. Ryker could not help but think that the ways that the doors shut was reflective on a door in his life closing behind him. One that he simply could not reopen. But going back had never really been his style anyways. Forging onward, meeting every obstacle, and tearing them apart. _That_ was his path. Unfortunately his current obstacle, Nyx, was most likely far beyond even his capabilities. He would, to his horror, have to use tact here. Something he was not at all good at. He and the goddess stared at one another for a long while, neither of them speaking or turning away from the other. The horses that seemed to be made from the stars themselves returned after a few minutes, taking their place at Nyx's side once more. They snorted and pawed at the ground as they stared Ryker down, obviously attempting to intimidate him.

"It has been years since I've seen Erebus." Nyx told him coldly. "Centuries in fact. And now he turns up with you in tow. And not even to offer you to me as an apology! Oh no, he wants me to help you."

She stared at him expectantly, clearly waiting for some sort of response, but Ryker remained silent. He kept his face devoid of any emotion, save for the slightest contempt that he could not totally erase. Another few minutes passed before Nyx began to speak again. "Which, of course, begs the question of why?" She mused, now speaking more to herself than Ryker. "Erebus is certainly powerful enough to accomplish anything I might do for you himself. Why bother bringing you here, especially when you will most likely not walk out alive."

Stifling a yawn, Ryker merely shrugged one shoulder indifferently. Nyx gazed at him with no small degree of incredulity and slowly shook her head. "Why do you mortal never fear me?" She demanded angrily. "I am a goddess older than the Olympians. I am as old as time itself! Older even!"

"Your point?" Ryker asked, finally speaking. "Or was this tirade supposed to impress me, perhaps make me afraid?"

"Of course!" Nyx snapped. "Fear would be most preferable! Anything would be better than you just standing there, not saying anything with that smug expression on your face!"

Ryker smirked and slowly lifted both shoulders before letting them fall, deliberately infuriating her. Nyx's aggravation was palpable, her horses pawing the ground nervously and neighing loudly. "What do you want then?" She demanded. "Why have you come here? At least tell me that so that I may have the pleasure of denying you."

Ryker stifled a second yawn and raised an eyebrow. "Why would I tell you if you were planning on just denying me?" He asked pointedly.

"Because I want to see the look of despair on your face when you realize that you will receive no help from me!" Nyx breathed in delight.

"But I already know you aren't going to help me." Ryker reminded her. "So, if you were looking for despair, look somewhere else. I don't _need_ your help. I'll figure something else out. Maybe I'll ask one of the other gods or monsters who live down here. I'm sure they would enjoy taking part in bringing down Tartarus."

"You seek to defy Tartarus?" Nyx repeated, her voice shrilly with rage. "And you would seek someone else's help?! No one else could even begin to assist you in facing him! He would devour you and whoever helped you."

"Well, seeing as how you aren't going to help me, I guess I don't have a choice, do I?" Ryker asked coldly, scowling up at her. "I'd rather find someone who at least has the gut to try."

"And what does that mean?" Nyx shrieked, waves of darkness rolling off of her. Ryker watched, wary, as the dark nebulae-like fog began to spread across the floor towards him. "Are you calling me a coward?"

"Yes." Ryker said, pleased that he caught on so quickly. "I am."

Nyx stared him down, her night sky eyes impossible to read. "I would really like to kill you." She told him.

"You aren't the first to say that." Ryker told her.

She seemed to wait for Ryker to say something else and then asked, "Isn't this where you tell me that I also won't be the last."

"I don't make it a habit for people to wish to kill me." Ryker said coolly. "But you may very well be the last. Perhaps the next person I face, assuming you don't kill me, won't be so foolish to tell me that they wish to kill me. Maybe they simply will. Or, at least, they will try."

For the first time since he had walked into her house, Nyx smiled. It wasn't a nice smile, but it wasn't a particularly malevolent one either. It was more of an understanding grin. "I do believe I understand why my dear Erebus is so interested in you."

"And why is that?" Ryker asked, curious. Other than the fact that Ryker was the one who was leading one of the offensives against Tartarus, Erebus could have easily found someone else to amuse himself.

Nyx merely continued smiling. "So, tell me, what can I do to assist you?" She asked, stroking the mane of one of her horses.

Erebus was waiting outside of the doors when Ryker finally left Nyx's house. She had escorted him through her house personally, pointing out all the odd horrors and marvels she had accumulated in her long life. Even Ryker had to admit that some things in that house would haunt him for the rest of his days. By the time he had stepped through the doors, he had developed a healthy wariness and grudging respect of the goddess. She had winked at him and bade him farewell before closing the doors behind him. "So, what did you think of my wife?" Erebus asked cheerfully, striding happily over to Ryker. "Quite the character isn't she?"

Ryker glared venomously at Erebus. "You left me in there, alone, with her!" He growled. "She could have killed me and wouldn't have given it a second thought!"

"Oh, I knew she probably wouldn't." Erebus said consolingly. "There was only, perhaps, a forty percent chance she would kill you. The odds were in your favor."

"What made you so certain?" Ryker demanded, pushing past the god and striding down the path that led away from the House of Night. "Maybe she would have killed me just to anger you."

"Oh, she would never do that!" Erebus told him firmly. "Nyx is a sweetheart, she really is!"

Ryker slowly turned his head to face Erebus, disbelief written all over his face. "Are you out of your mind?" He asked. "You must be. She's psychotic!"

"Oh no," Erebus laughed. "Nyx has always been hot-headed. She is very passionate. Cursing this person for breathing too hard, eternal damnation for another for not being precisely six feet tall, very passionate indeed. Whatever she does, she does completely. Which is why she was your best chance for fighting Tartarus."

"Actually, she mentioned something on that." Ryker's scowl deepened as he glared at Erebus. "She said that you were just as powerful as her and could just as easily help me just as much as she did. Which means you potentially sent me to my death simply because you didn't want to become too involved."

"I did tell you I did not want to involve myself too much." Erebus reminded him. "Takes all the fun out of things. That and I just don't want to put the effort in. It's exhausting, you know, being this lazy. So what did she do to help you anyways?"

Ryker extended his right arm and a bow made of darkness sprang forth. "A bow on par with any of the gods' weapons." He said, satisfied. "And one that is bound to me. One that cannot be lost, taken, or broken."

"Well that is certainly helpful." Erebus said, frowning unhappily. "Although I think she might have made it a bit too powerful. Ah well, I'll let it slide. What else?"

Ryker dug into his pocket and removed a gold and onyx charm. He offered it to Erebus and the primordial god took it, holding it gingerly before him. "Aah," He breathed, turning the charm over and slowly shaking his head. "A way for you to escape Tartarus with your friends. If I am not mistaken this will take you back to Elysium. That's only halfway back to the surface. How will you proceed from there?"

"I don't know." Ryker said honestly. "But if Nico can do it, I should be able to as well."

"Nico di Angelo can shadow travel." Erebus reminded him. "You…."

"Me, what?" Ryker asked, prompting Erebus as he annoyingly trailed off.

"Oh, nothing." Erebus said, smirking and chuckling quietly. "When, if, you get back to Elysium, leave getting back to the surface to me. I have no issue helping you in that regard. Particularly since your conversation with my wife took the better part of two days."

"What?!" Ryker barked, shocked. It had only been a few hours surely.

"One of her little tricks." Erebus explained. "Manipulating one's perception of time. I'm sure that there were moments where she was quiet for several minutes when you spoke with her. It might have been minutes for you, but it was hours for the outside world. You have three days remaining to get to accomplish your task. Less in fact."

Ryker's eyes narrowed briefly in concentration before the phantom image of a horse appeared, enveloping him in the aura. Erebus raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "You have the whole of the animal kingdom, and you choose a horse?" He asked skeptically. "Really? I'm going to get you an animal encyclopedia. You really need to work on your variety. Perhaps a cheetah next time. Maybe a wolf, a bit closer to home for you."

"Do you truly have to critique my every decision?" Ryker asked, turning around and digging into the dirt. Already the horse's natural instinct to run was beginning to sink into him, the desire stronger than he would have anticipated. The instincts, as they had with the deer, gave him some pause. If the instinct of prey was this strong, what about the instincts of a predator?


	63. The Letter

The tone in the War Room could only be described as somber. At best. At worst it was bleak, depressed, and downright desolate. Following the departure of Tartarus's forces the heads of both camps and the major gods had assembled to discuss the problems they now faced. Thus far the only product of their convergence had been arguments on what to do. "No matter how you look at it we are outnumbered." Frank said, grinding his teeth. "We need to call in more reserves. We have at least a thousand other Romans who are honor-bound to help us."

"Yeah, _but_ those thousand Romans are parents, grandparents, and people who are too old to fight!" Percy snapped back, slamming his hand onto the table and making the figurines fall over. "We can't ask them to abandon their families!"

"Going in battle is the best way to go!" Ares declared loudly, thumping on his breastplate. "Honorable! Fun even!"

"Shut it, Ares." Percy snarled, glowering at the god. "You immortals don't get a say."

"That is a bold thing to say." Venus observed from where she floated on her cloud above the map stretched out over the table. "Particularly since we will be a large help in this upcoming war."

"Only because you can't afford for Tartarus to wipe us out." Percy shot back, switching his glare to the goddess of love. "If you call in those reserves you are going to have a bunch of kids being raised without parents. At the very least, one. And that's if they are lucky."

"You are acting like we don't have a chance!" Hazel said, coming to Frank's aid. "Romans stand as one! That's the way it is! If you Greeks don't want to call in your own reserves-."

"What reserves?" Piper demanded. "You mean the nymphs, dryads, and the satyrs? Oh yes, we _are_ calling them in. They are already on the way actually. BUT we made sure that the ones who had children or were old weren't included! Because we have something called a conscience."

"A whole lot of good a conscience does you if you are dead." Frank reminded them venomously.

"What's your deal man?" Leo asked cordially. "You aren't acting like yourself."

"What because I want to bring in the rest of the reserves?" Frank asked. When Leo nodded he barked out a laugh and shook his head. "You think that I _like_ having to bring in all those people? I don't. Not even a little bit. But it is a whole lot better to have more numbers and actually stand a chance rather than just being overrun and slaughtered. Even _if_ I call in the reserves, even _if_ you get as many satyrs and that bunch as you think you will, even _if_ Tartarus doesn't have as many monsters at his side as we think he does, we still have to deal with the Corrupted ones." The name had spread like wildfire through the camp mere minutes after the tense faceoff had ended and it stuck. Rather than referring to the demigods fighting alongside Tartarus as demigods it made it a whole lot easier to refer to them as something else.

Percy had no argument for that. It had been one of the many other issues that no solution had presented itself. Artemis's arrow had been stopped, with one hand no less, with contemptuous ease by Ryker. They had discussed the possibility that Ryker was stronger by the rest and thus had been chosen as the emissary, but they had thrown out that line of thinking. They couldn't assume that they all weren't equally as possible based on a mere hope. That would easily lead to their slaughter.

"It took Ryker losing it to beat Gina." Leo said softly, tinkering with something in his hands. "We can handle a couple of them, but they had a small army of em. And if they are all strong enough to take on a god's weapon and come out without a scratch, we got a problem. A big one."

"They can't be killed as far as we know." Hermes added, leaning on his staff. "We attempted several different ways of doing so on Gina, but nothing succeeded. At the very most they can be incapacitated if their vital organs are damaged enough."

"Why can't they be killed?" Percy demanded, crossing his arms tightly. "It doesn't make sense. What makes them different than us?"

"They were created by Tartarus himself," Athena said gravely. Percy nodded but he couldn't bring himself to look into the goddess's eyes. The gray color was still painful, too painful for him to bear. He would mourn Annabeth properly if he survived this fight, but for now he needed to focus as much as his ADHD brain would allow him to. His friends, the ones still living, still needed him. "They were brought into being with the sole purpose of killing the gods. It stands to reason that they would fall outside of Thanatos's control as he is one of the gods."

The War Room fell silent once more as each participant racked their brains in search of a solution to their dilemma. The tent flap opened and a Roman quickly stepped in, covered in sweat and with a grim expression on his face. He saluted quickly just as Frank said, "Report."

"The scout came back." He said clearly.

"Scout?" Artemis inquired. "Don't you mean scouts? We sent out half a dozen of them."

"No, my lady, scout." The legionnaire said, "She was the only one to make it back. The others were killed, from what we understand. She is…. She is not in good shape. The medical personnel are attending to her but they have no idea yet as to whether or not she will survive."

"Her injuries?" Artemis inquired, her voice slightly harsh. The scouting party had been her idea. Half of them had been her Hunters and the other half had been a combination of Greeks and Romans who had a propensity for stealth and silence. The fact that the only survivor was female meant that it was one of her Hunters as the Greeks and Romans had been all male.

"Several lacerations along her right shoulder and her wrists showed evidence of being bound." The Roman said grimly, his voice firm and unwavering. "Will Solace believes that she may have been tortured."

"Tortured?" Leo repeated, his voice drawn in horror. "What gives, why would they do that?"

"That's not all." The Roman said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a blood-stained piece of paper. He slowly unfolded it and handed it to Artemis as the goddess reached for it. Her eyes scanned the paper and a terrible fury clouded her face. She slammed the piece of paper onto the table and vanished in a flash of silver light, temporarily blinding the assembled demigods for several seconds.

Frank ordered the Roman to get some rest and to bring him updates on the Hunter every two hours as Percy and the others crowded around to read the note.

 _Good Afternoon,_ The note began in elegant flowing handwriting. The blood seemed to be primarily on the outside of the paper, leaving the message unsullied. _I hope that this note finds you both happy and healthy, at least for this young lady's sake. Because she, as you are no doubt aware, is not. Terribly rude of you, sending scouts in to spy on us. You act as if we would not anticipate this and take countermeasures. Truly, you wound my pride. That is to say, me as an individual. I hope that the state your friend is in will be something in the way of an eye-opening experience. I took my time in making her scream. If it is any consolation at all, she was silent for quite some time. But, fear not, persistence is something I have been gifted with. Combine that with a truly wonderful imagination and her screams soon echoed through the woods. I made sure that she suffered just enough to put her on the brink of death. I could have killed her I suppose, but then I would not have a way to give you this message. If you do manage to save her, and it is rather unlikely that you will (hydra acid injected directly into the bloodstream is rather bad for the heart I have been told), but if you do please do give her my thanks. She was an excellent test subject to practice my skills on. Very resilient. But there I go, rambling again. I suppose I should get to the point of this message. Please refrain from sending any other scouts to spy on us or I will show them things worse than death. Of which, as I am sure your little Hunter friend can now attest, there are many. And quite varied as well! I will have her deposited at the very edge of your territory right on the borders of your guards' patrols. I do hope you find her before she dies. That would be a waste after I went to such lengths to perfectly gauge how much time would pass before the acid eats away her arteries and dissolves her heart. Also, while I am thinking of it, do not try to escape if you would be so kind. I am not sure that the idea had presented itself to you, but I would like to discourage it now if I may be so bold. We will slaughter anyone that attempts to run. Women, children, older folks, it matters not. I would prefer to have all of you in one place for one grand bloodbath. Oh! As for those satyrs and fauns that you called to your side, I do thank you. It was a lovely little warm up fight. Don't count on their aid if that was not clear enough. They have all been killed._

 _Best Regards and Hoping that you are well,_

 _Ryker_

The collective horror as to what they had read was a prodigious amount as each one of the demigods, and even the gods, attempted to understand just how twisted their opponents truly were. "Hydra acid?" Piper croaked, "That sicko injected her with hydra acid?! What kind of monster would even think of something like that, let alone actually do it?"

As much as Percy agreed, his thought were on the last sentence. "They're dead." He said, his voice surprisingly steady. "The satyrs… the dryads… the nymphs… all of our reinforcements… they're dead."

"And we can't call for more." Frank said grimly, rubbing his eyes. "They'll be killed too apparently. It's too risky. We have to make do with what we have now."

"Which isn't much." Nico said, speaking up for the first time since the meeting had been called. "We have a couple hundred more that are going to college in New Rome and who have chosen to live around here. But it's not enough. We need more numbers."

"What we need and what we actually get are two different things." Percy reminded him. "Unless you have something in mind?"

"I'll speak to my father." Nico told them. "I may be able to convince him to allow me to control his skeleton army. And I will speak to him about getting some assistance in shadow-traveling all those unfit to fight away from the combat area."

"Thanks Nico." Frank said as Nico stepped back into the shadows of the tent and disappeared. Frank sat down at one of the chairs arranged around the table and put his head into his hands. "We have to do something." He said wearily.

Percy agreed, as did everyone else in the room, but as to what that something was he had no idea at all. They had arranged for their defenses to be as strong as they possibly could in every possible way but they wouldn't last indefinitely. Even with the gods' continued assistance. According to what Ryker had said, the goal of the army of Tartarus was to eradicate every soul on the planet. If they found that New Rome was unreachable it was very likely that they would turn their attention to the nearest city and completely destroy it. At the very least the War Room had agreed that they could not let that happen. They had to be the first, and last, line of defense against the army. But the more Percy looked over their problem, the quicker it became clear that they would not survive this. It was the first time in his life that he truly realized what it meant to face impossible odds.


	64. Silver

He should have anticipated that Tartarus's lair would have been guarded, particularly since the captured demigods were still there. Nonetheless Ryker had not considered the idea. He stood on a patch of jagged rock overlooking the small horde of monsters milling about in front of a large palace that seemed to be made out of flesh. Water pulsed through the walls like blood and the floor looked to be unsteady at best. "Well, looks like this is where I leave you." Erebus told Ryker, a note of regret in his voice.

Ryker glanced over to the god, frowning. "You aren't going to help me out at all here?" He asked, slightly disbelievingly. _That_ much he had expected. The primordial god had a habit of being helpful and yet unhelpful at the same time.

"Afraid not." Erebus chuckled. "I look forward to seeing how you handle this. This is goodbye, Ryker. When you make it to Elysium, if you make it, I will send transportation for you to return to the surface with your army. Good luck, Ryker." And without another word the primordial god vanished on the spot, leaving the son of Cybele alone in Tartarus.

Any other demigod would have, most likely, been swept up in a momentary surge of panic upon realizing that they were alone in perhaps the most dangerous place in the world. But Ryker took solace in the solitude. He took a deep breath and surveyed the assembled monsters once more, summoning his bow as he did so. _They'll be inside that palace._ He thought quietly, drawing back the bowstring and focusing on an ogre. _First things first, I need to get inside._

Before the first arrow had even embedded into the ogre Ryker had sent a dozen more shadowy shafts arcing after it, raining down on the unsuspecting monsters. Each arrow that he fired hit its target and the monster crumbled away, presumably to reappear somewhere else in Tartarus. Ryker slowly began his descent down the jagged stone mountain, hopping lightly from foothold to foothold, while keeping up a constant stream of arrows hailing down on the monsters. It did not take long for the monsters to locate their aggressor and they moved to attack him as one. But it was not a short distance between the demigod and the monsters. And Ryker's volley of arrows was endless. Monster after monster fell as they charged him, desperate to stop the arrows. By the time the first monster, a _karpos_ , reached him, half of the monsters had been reduced to dust. But if the monsters had expected some sort of reprieve after reaching Ryker, they were sorely mistaken. The second that the bow disappeared, Ryker's claws appeared. They went to work with such precision and savagery that the monsters quickly regretted their decision to approach the demigod. The bow would have been quicker. Ryker's claws were far more painful, and his constant laughter were unsettling to even the oldest of the creatures.

After only thirty minutes the monsters that had been guarding the palace were all dust. Ryker, chuckling all the while, strolled into the palace. He was covered in gore and ichor and that combined with his reckless grin would have even given the gods pause. But it was not a god that was waiting for him right inside the palace, lounging in a throne-like chair. It wasn't even a monster. In fact, the figure in the chair was all too familiar, even if he had not seen her in a very long time.

"Silver." Ryker breathed.

"Oh, you know me then?" She laughed, swinging her feet off of the chair and slowly rising. At her side hung two long knives that seemed to have a sinister red glow all of their own. "Sorry, your face doesn't ring a bell. And you are?"

The confession of not knowing Ryker brought him out of the reverie he had temporarily found himself in and he quickly shook it off. "Don't worry about it." He said, his grin slowly returning. "It won't matter in a few seconds."

"Oh, a fighter!" Silver beamed at him in genuine pleasure, an expression that he had never seen on the actual Silver's face. It was a look of equal part savagery and happiness, one that made even his own reckless grin pale in comparison. "Good, it has been _so_ boring just sitting around here and watching these prisoners. Even torturing that one who looks like me is getting a bit old."

She slowly drew her knives, looking expectantly at Ryker for some sort of response. When none was forthcoming she sighed and shrugged. "Right to it then?" She asked brightly. "Fine by me. Try to make this interesting, will you?"

"The demigods." Ryker growled, his voice shaking with barely concealed rage. The thought of someone torturing others for the explicit purpose of causing pain was sickening to him. It reminded him of those hunters who killed only for sport. He had been struggling internally with the idea of killing Silver, for reasons that he couldn't comprehend, but now that weight had been lifted. "Where are they?"

He hadn't been expecting her to answer, but she did. She pointed behind her with one knife, to a stygian iron door. "Right behind those doors." She informed him. "Follow the hallway down and you will reach two sets of staircases. Take the one on the left and you will find them."

He opened his mouth to respond, but evidently Silver was done speaking. She leapt forward with frightening speed and her long knives cut an 'X' across Ryker's chest before he could even move. She drew back her knives for another attack but Ryker quickly gathered himself and went on the offensive. Silver was fast, faster than he was. She danced through his attacks with the ease and fluidity of water, giggling and smiling. Her knives cut into his flesh with deadly precision, never missing their target. In the space of six seconds Ryker was bleeding from more than a dozen wounds. His breathing was already becoming heavy and he looked at the Corrupted demigod in disbelief, a feral snarl on his face. Silver smiled back at him innocently and twirled one knife in her hand easily, the other hand on her hip. "You know, you aren't very good." She told him honestly, winking mischievously. "And you are quite slow. I do hope you aren't planning on dying too quickly."

Ryker ground his teeth in frustration, the scales from his scales slowly traveling up his arms. They had reached his bicep when Silver attacked again. Even being aware of her ridiculous speed Ryker was still cut two more times before he could twist away. She giggled again as she gave a particularly savage cut at Ryker's throat, clearly intending to sever the veins in his neck. Unable to dodge her attack, time seemed to slow for Ryker. He watched the knife move closer and closer to his neck, and saw the savage glee grow on Silver's face with every millimeter closer the knife came. _Not like this,_ Ryker thought desperately, _I'm not_ done _yet._

The scales had been slowly moving up his arm throughout the short lived fight, but now they grew with incredible speed. They traveled up Ryker's right arm and wrapped around his throat just before Silver's knife touched his flesh. Sparks skittered off as the knife contacted them and Silver was momentarily caught off guard. Her balance was compromised and Ryker managed to score his first blow of the fight, raking his claws across her shoulder. Silver dashed away, just outside of his reach, before he could continue his offensive and Ryker touched one hand to his throat. He could hardly believe that the scales had responded so quickly to his commands. He wasn't the only one who was shocked. Silver's smug grin had faded somewhat as she regarded the scales shrewdly. "That's cheating." She grumbled. She rolled her shoulder experimentally and Ryker knew from experience that her wounds had already healed themselves. "Next time I'm just going to cut your head off."

Ryker took a deep breath, and met her eyes. The scales had saved him. Were it not for them responding almost instantaneously to his wishes he would be bleeding out onto the floor. The severity of the situation he now faced hit him all at once and Ryker slowly straightened. He thought back once again to the ability that Erebus had revealed to him and a slow smile spread across his face. "Alright, Silver," He called softly. He took another deep breath and let loose a slow laugh. He fell forward into a crouch and grinned at her. "Let's see who the predator is and who the prey is."

"Now _that_ sounds like fun!" Silver agreed enthusiastically, launching herself at Ryker.

It was clear that she expected her first attack to have the same effect that the past ones had, but this time Ryker moved out of the way. Silver blinked in surprised and gave a shout of surprise as she brought her knives up to fend off the sudden attack by Ryker. Sparks arced off her blades as Ryker's claws scratched their way down their length. "You might be fast." Ryker growled savagely, "But a snake's strike is faster."

It was only then that Silver saw the faint aura encircling Ryker, giving form to the smoky outine of a coiled snake. She blinked as the aura changed and shifted into the form of a snarling wolf. "Now, let's end this."

"Oh _no_!" Silver laughed excitedly. "Now this is getting fun, why should we end this now? Let's play!"

It took longer than Ryker would have liked, much longer in fact, but in the end the ravaged and shredded body of the Corrupted demigod was left lying on the floor. "I win." Ryker gasped, leaning heavily against the wall as blood poured down his leg from a deep cut on his hip. Several other cuts stung and bled freely, but they were healing quickly enough. The shadowy armor that Erebus had given him seemed to target the wounds and somehow expedited the healing process. In no time at all of the cuts, with the exception of his hip, had been reduced to angry red scars. The hip wound continued to bleed but it had been drastically slowed. Ryker tested his weight on the leg and winced as it protested, but held. He glanced back to the body of Silver and then to the door she had pointed at.


	65. Escape

It was worse than he could have ever imagined. Far worse. The moment that Ryker stepped through the door the overwhelming scent of gore and blood assaulted him, forcing him to take an involuntary step back. The stench was awful, worse than anything he had ever smelled before, but despite that he still made out the distinct scents of demigods mixed among the atrocious odor. He braced himself and stepped through the doorway once more. The room's floor was made of the same flesh-like material that the outside ground had been, but the walls were evidently hewn from stone. In the center of the room sat a stone basin on a stygian iron pedestal. Ryker didn't bother checking but he heard the distinctive sound of water running through the basin. He didn't bother checking because something else had captured his attention. He had expected to have to search for the demigods, perhaps they were being held in some manner of cell, but that was not the case at all. They were hanging from the ceilings by their wrists.

Ryker's hands curled into fists and he felt the blood drain from his face as he shook from his anger. Tartarus had left them to dangle, to have the constant pain of their wrists being dug into by metal shackles. But that was not the worst thing that the primordial god had done to them. Ryker had smelled gore when he walked in, and he now saw why. Blood coated each of their skin in layers. Their clothing had been reduced to tatters or, in some cases, had been torn away completely. Those with clothes were a mercy, Ryker was spared from seeing the extent of their injuries. Cuts ran up and down their bodies, several of them still slowly dripping blood. The old, festering blood had been left on their skin and to fall onto the floor beneath them.

When the door closed behind them only a few of them even stirred. One moaned piteously, attempting to shift his position despite hanging in the air. Another whimpered, "Please, no more."

The others didn't even raise their heads. Ryker recognized a few of them, but several more had so much blood and muck obscuring their face that they simply weren't recognizable. Ryker went to work quickly, breaking the chains that held them aloft one by one. The cries of pain that the demigods gave as their legs suddenly were forced to bear a weight that they hadn't had to in weeks pulled at even Ryker's heartstrings in empathy. The ones who said nothing however, who vocalized no pain or joy, they were the ones who worried him. They simply folded in on themselves and laid there without saying nothing. Ryker made his way quickly through the chained demigods, arriving at the last one in no time at all. It was a female he saw immediately. She was in the bare remnants of some sort dress that seemed to be made of feathers or something of the like. He dismissed this out of hand when the significance of this observation hit him. He had just seen the Corrupted version of her upstairs and, yet, the difference between them could not have been plainer.

"Silver." He breathed, his voice nearly catching in his throat. He broke the chains that bound her and caught her just before she fell to the floor. "Hey, Silver wake up!"

She whimpered and attempted to curl up on herself, her wrists bleeding freely from being rubbed raw by the shackles. Ryker gathered her in his arms, whispering to her urgently. She didn't respond with anything other than the continued pitiful whimpers and small cries of pain. He gently placed her on the ground by the stone basin and set to gathering the others by it as well. None of them gave him so much as a hint of trouble, all of them too hurt and weak to offer anything in the way of resistance.

Orion had warned him of this before Ryker set off into Camp Jupiter, but seeing it firsthand made him realize that nothing could have prepared him for this. "They are being harvested for their blood." Orion had explain quickly. "Normally they would be dead by now, but every time they get close Tartarus will force them to drink from the stone basin in the center of the room they are being held in. It's a run off of the River Phlegethon. It heals them enough to give them their strength back and mends their wounds. It also acts like sort of a liquid diet. When you get there you are going to need to make them drink, otherwise they won't last long."

So Ryker did just that. He attended to Silver first, gently cupping water into his hands and forcing her to drink. It took several tries for her to actually keep the water down, but eventually she managed to drink some on her own. She seemed to be in some sort of stupor at first, but as she drank the third handful of water she seemed to slowly return. "Not again," She moaned, attempting to push away Ryker's hands in a weak attempt at perceived rebellion.

The simple defiant act set Ryker's heart at ease, if only slightly. He paused and considered this feeling of relief, but shrugged it off and resolved to contemplate it later. Now was neither the time nor the place. "Hey, hey, hey." He said soothingly, adopting the same tone he would take for a young or wounded animal. "Easy, Silver. It's me, it's me. It's Ryker."

"Yeah, sure it is." She said, conjuring up weak sarcasm. She pushed away the proffered water again and attempted to scoot away, her arms not yet strong enough to bear her weight. "Get away from me, psycho."

"Listen, bird girl." Ryker growled slightly, grabbing her arm and hauling her back the few inches she had managed to move. "You are going to drink, and you are probably not going to like it. But I need you to help me with the others."

She slowly turned back to stare at him, her eyes filling with tears as she apparently saw something in his own eyes. "Is it you?" She choked back a sob, reaching her arms out to him. "Is it really you? It's not some Corrupted copy?"

Ryker leaned down and was abruptly wrapped in a tight hug, surprising him. "Yes, it's me." He said, attempting to disentangle himself from her arms. "Now, drink. You need your strength."

"I didn't think anyone would ever come for us." She admitted, her sobs having subsided as she drank. She groaned and gagged but kept the water down. "Oh you have no idea how bad this water tastes."

"It's doing its job though." Ryker reminded her, forcing her to drink more. He glanced at the others, all of whom were still incapacitated and unmoving. "We need to hurry. I killed the monsters guarding you, but I don't know how long it will take for them to regenerate."

"I'm fine now." Silver said, shakily getting to her feet. She stood tall for a moment, raising her chin defiantly before her legs gave out beneath her. Just before she hit the ground Ryker caught her easily enough, wrapping one arm around her waist. He set her gently onto the floor and gnawed his lip, examining the others. "Um, I… hate to ask but can I have your coat?"

Ryker glanced back to her in confusion and glanced down to her own shirt. He then blinked and his cheeks turned crimson, marking the first time in his life that he ever blushed. He pulled off the shadowy coat and tossed it to her, purposefully looking away. He looked over the other demigods and pulled out the charm Nyx had given him and looked at it thoughtfully. "It's time to go." He decided quietly. "They'll heal faster in Elysium."

"What was that?" Silver asked, getting to her feet once more and clinging to his arm in support. "Elysium? We aren't dead!"

"It's a long story." Ryker told her, bringing the charm into the air before him. Darkness seemed to pour out of the little trinket and wrap itself around everyone present, enveloping them in darkness. Ryker and Silver were the last to disappear into the dark.

Ryker felt an unpleasant sensation like the floor beneath him shaking violently and then a sudden weightlessness before the darkness abruptly evaporated and he found himself in Elysium, surrounded by the stunned looks of demigods. Their gaze immediately switched to the battered and broken demigods surrounding him and they immediately went to work. Ryker had prepared himself for some manner of fight, but when none was forthcoming he was pleasantly surprised. His battle with the Corrupted Silver had left a bad taste in his mouth, one that he was certain was not going away for some time.

"You made it!" The familiar voice of Annabeth announced happily, pushing through the crowd and breathing a relieved sigh as she beheld her formerly missing friends. "They're alive."

"We already knew that." Ryker reminded her, his arm still around Silver's waist. "Otherwise they would be here. I don't think I need to state the obvious, that they need help?"

"We're on it." Annabeth promised. "Elysium has a massive supply of nectar and ambrosia. They'll be healed up in no time."

"Please tell me this place has a shower." Silver asked hopefully. "We all need one."

"Oh, you are going to love it." Annabeth promised, taking Silver by the hand and leading her away. "It's huge! And the water gets as hot, or as cold, as you want it to be."

They began to speak rapidly on the showers and other comforts offered by Elysium as they walked away, which left Ryker standing there awkwardly as the demigods rapidly attended to their wounded friends. He glanced around for some direction and, upon finding none, decided that being in Elysium was most likely not in anyone's best interest. The words of Erebus regarding Thanatos knowing when an unwelcome soul was in his domain rang in Ryker's ears and he quickly made his way out. Or, at least, he tried to. For some reason every time that he would approach the border of Elysium he would blink and find himself back at the center of the place. This happened several times before Ryker breathed an angry sigh and shoved his hands in his pockets. He frowned when he felt paper crunch beneath his fingers and quickly brought out what appeared to be a sticky note. _It will be good for you to socialize._ _– Erebus_

"Why you…." Ryker grumbled out several more words and glanced back at the paper, shaking his head as he watched the writing on the note changed.

 _Heard that. – Erebus_


	66. And So Falls The Goddess

"For Annabeth." Though it was Percy who said them, it affected Jason more. The memory of his dream haunted his thoughts, causing a shiver to run up his spine. He looked over the assembled Greeks and Romans wishing for what seemed the thousandth time in a minute that they could have managed to assemble a larger force. The Roman forces had been somewhat bolstered by one hundred retired legionnaires that had been living in New Rome, but that was not nearly enough for the massive force that they now faced. Besides, many of the reserves had not fought in a battle, much less held a spear in years. But numbers were numbers, and the strength of the Roman ranks had increased nonetheless. Through the night Nico and the forces of the Underworld had shadow-traveled all of those unable to fight to a safe distance several hundred miles away.

Tartarus had set the stage for this battle, clearing several acres of land. The earth was charred and scarred, the roots of hundreds of trees poking up from the ground here and there. Other than those few roots there was no evidence that the grand forest that surrounded New Rome had ever been there. The forces of Tartarus stood at the end opposite the demigods, watching them. Even from where he stood Jason could feel the bloodlust and pure joy at the prospect of a fight emanating from them. The Romans stood in formation, their spears vertical to the ground, awaiting orders from Frank. The Greeks were decidedly not in formation, milling about or checking their weapons. It was an odd contrast, the intimidating cohesiveness of the Roman Legion next to the individual quiet deadliness that was the Greeks. Any other foe might look upon their combined might and reconsider picking a fight with them, but Jason got the sense that this form of intimidation merely served to excite their adversaries.

Frank's voice rang out over the assembled demigods, bringing the Romans to attention and ordering them to march forward. "Alright, move out." Jason called. Normally Percy would have been the one to command them, or Annabeth if she had been there, but Percy was not in any shape to command anyone. Jason had never seen such anger on his friend's face, not even after Leo's death. Thalia called for the Hunters to move out as well, arrows readied on their bows. The Amazons were right behind them, their battle fork-lifts fully outfitted and ready for the battle.

"Are you ready, Jason Grace?" Ceres asked, appearing next to him. Flashes of light ran along the lines of demigods, signaling the arrival of the gods. Each of them was outfitted for battle, their divine weapons gleaming with an abnormal light. "This may very well be the last battle you fight."

"This might be the last battle any of us fight." Jason reminded her, examining his sword and running his thumb over the blade. It was razor sharp, as expected. More and more flashes of light appeared among the ranks of the demigods and Jason had to admit that having so many gods fighting on their side was immensely reassuring. It was also worrying. If they were right, supposedly Tartarus had created a weapon that the Corrupted demigods could use to kill even the gods. If a god fell, what would happen to their children? Moreover, what would happen in general? Despite that concern, Jason simply couldn't imagine anything being able to best a god or goddess. They were ancient and immortal after all.

When the demigods were perhaps an eighth of the way across the field the forces of Tartarus began to move as well. When the two armies were a mere hundred meters from one another a mechanical thrum sounded out from the direction of New Rome. Jason had to grin as the first of the ballista, crafted by the combined efforts of the sons and daughters of Hephaestus and Vulcan, smashed into the enemy forces. Several monsters cried out and were reduced to dust instantly.

"Oh, _yes_!" Ryker proclaimed happily. "Let the blood flow! Slaughter them!"

"Charge!" Jason roared, summoning lightning into his non-sword hand. On his right, Percy had disappeared within the depths of a hurricane that swirled around his body. The Romans lowered their spears and just in time as well. The Corrupted demigods launched themselves at the demigod, each of them grinning crazily and laughing. The monsters were only a few steps behind, but they threw themselves into the fight with significantly less enthusiasm. Jason was immediately engaged by a Corrupted demigod, a son of Hypnos he recognized immediately, and he no longer could pay attention to anything else. The Corrupted demigod was strong, ridiculously so, and as Jason fought him he found that he was growing more and more tired. Battle fatigue was common enough, but Jason had fought for hours before without even a hint of the affliction showing itself. As he parried a particularly vicious axe swipe aimed at his neck the answer hit him like a ton of bricks. "THEY CAN USE THEIR POWERS STILL!" He roared, warning the others on the off chance that they hadn't figured it out yet.

He leapt backwards to avoid yet another swing from the axe and abruptly fell onto his butt. He felt something warm on his hand and glanced down, momentarily distracted. His eyes quickly fell upon what had tripped him, the lifeless body of Sherman Yang, a son of Ares. The demigod's eyes were wide an unseeing, a vicious cut opening him from throat to navel. He was obviously dead. Jason's momentary horror was immediately shoved to the back of his mind as the blade of an axe passed by an inch from his nose and buried itself into the arm of Sherman. The Corrupted demigod grunted in annoyance as he tried to pull the axe free, but Jason didn't give him the chance. The sight of his friend lying dead had effectively cleared his lethargy and he went on the attack. He cut at the son of Hypnos in a dizzying flurry of slashes and stabs, giving his opponent no time to go on the offensive. Summoning another lightning bolt in his free hand Jason stabbed forward again, using the momentum to get close enough to the Corrupted demigod for Jason to shove the lightning bolt into his chest. The son of Hypnos jerked and twitched as the electricity burned him up from the inside, finally collapsing as tendrils of smoke wafted up from his charred skin. The last bits of the demigod's power washed off of Jason and he was suddenly wide awake once more. His battle had only taken a couple minutes and yet the battlefield had descended into chaos in that time. Jason avoided the blade of an _empousai_ as she attempted to disembowel him and abruptly separated her head from her shoulder. After fighting the Corrupted demigod the monster's movements seemed sluggish which made her much easier to dispatch.

"That was very well done." A familiar voice congratulated Jason as the son of Jupiter leapt aside to avoid being crushed by the massive club of an ogre.

Jason rolled to his feet, his eyes going to the ogre just as the monster was brought to its knees. As Jason watched, Ryker quickly cut out the monster's feet from under it and then proceeded to pierce his saber through the monster's skull. The ogre crumbled away and Ryker flicked the ichor from his blade with a simple twitch of his wrist. "Terribly sorry about that." He apologized, leveling his saber at Jason and smiling pleasantly. "I'm sure that you wanted to kill it yourself but, alas, patience is not my strong suit. I simply could not bear to wait for you to end that contest."

"You want to go?" Jason challenged readying his sword in front of him.

"But of course!" Ryker cried, bringing his sword in front of him, its blade directly in front of his face. "Now summon your lightning, Son of Jupiter. Allow me the pleasure of killing you at your full strength. Anything else simply will not do."

Jason was going to anyways, but he was annoyed that the Corrupted demigod was ordering him around. They were enemies after all. He didn't have to listen to him. But he summoned his lightning bolt nonetheless, bringing the bolt and his sword before him at the ready. "Come on then!" Jason challenged. "Let's go!"

"With pleasure!" Ryker laughed, dancing forward and launching a barrage of stabs at Jason.

The son of Jupiter parried them with relative ease, the heat of battle sharpening his already keen warrior's instincts. They traded blows for several minutes, Ryker laughing and smiling all the while. He avoided the lightning bolt and met Jason's sword every time, almost as though he was mocking Jason's skill. "I must say, you are much better than the last demigod I fought." He offered, dancing away from Jason's lightning bolt. "He did not last very long at all. Rather disappointing actually."

"I'm going to stop you." Jason promised, stabbing his lightning bolt at Ryker once more. "You aren't going to hurt any more of my friends!"

Ryker smirked and rolled his eyes. He glanced around him and, before Jason realized what he was doing, ran his saber through a demigod who was already engaged with another monster. The blade went in through his back and sprouted from his chest, passing directly through his heart. Ryker pulled the blade free and pushed the fatally wounded demigod forward with one finger, leaving him to be shredded by the dog-headed man he had been fighting. "I didn't have to do that." Ryker admitted, examining his saber as the demigod's blood dripped past the hilt and onto his hand. "But I do despise declarations of intent, specifically those that cannot be reinforced."

Jason was at a loss, his mouth agape as he looked at his friend being torn apart by the dog-headed man. There was nothing he could do, nothing he could have done. Ryker had acted far too fast for Jason to realize what he had been up to. "Y-you…" Jason's arms trembled and sparks began to spring from his hands. His sword began to glow a slight blue as electricity sparked up and down its blade.

"If you want me, come and get me Son of Jupiter." Ryker laughed and slipped away, disappearing into the chaos of the battlefield. Jason howled in frustration and fury, giving chase to the Corrupted demigod.

As he ran after Ryker his path was suddenly barred by a Corrupted. A very familiar one. A very scary opponent. Reyna. She smiled at him and twirled her spear in her hand effortlessly, the dark red spearhead flashing in the sunlight. "Well, I guess you will do." She said dispassionately, leveling the spear at him and lunging forward.

Jason knocked the spear aside with his hand, and Reyna's arm jerked as the electricity that the contact with Jason's sword coursed down the spear and shocked her. She staggered back a step and attempted a clumsy swing at Jason as he continued the assault. He stopped the spear with his sword again and Reyna's arm gave a spasm, the muscles in her hand involuntarily dropping her spear. Jason didn't bother playing nice like he would have normally. He grabbed Reyna by the shoulder, her body jerking as the electricity in his touch coursed through her, and shoved his sword through her heart. Her spasms grew even more violent as sparks arced off of Jason's sword. Only when she stopped twitching did he remove his sword from her chest, certain that her heart had been reduced to ash. He shoved her away, disgusted and upset. Reyna had been one of his closest friends and one of his most respected peers. Even though this was clearly not her, it still hurt him to kill the Corrupted who bore her appearance. He surveyed the battlefield once more, taking advantage of the brief lull in battle that a victory granted one. In the, perhaps, ten minutes that had gone by since Jason had first faced Ryker the chaos had grown even worse. Bodies littered the ground by the dozens and Jason was horrified to see that very few of them were the bodies of the Corrupted. Many of the monsters were gone, though whether they had fled or been killed Jason did not know. He searched desperately for Ryker, the thought of how he had carelessly ended the life of a poor demigod still fresh in his mind, and quickly found him.

The Corrupted demigod was laughing almost maniacally as he traded blows with a goddess, her divine glow giving her away. Jason narrowed his eyes, frowning slightly as he tried to recognize her, and then abruptly widened them when he realized who it was that Ryker was fighting. Cybele.

The goddess's lion laid several feet away, its entrails spilling onto the ground from a grievous wound in its stomach. Jason began to move to assist Cybele when the ground beneath him suddenly shook. He staggered and fell to one knee to catch his balance, searching desperately for the source of the tremor. He looked accusingly at Ryker, certain that this was the work of the forces of Tartarus, but Jason quickly saw that the tremor was just as confusing to him. The earth gave another great shake and, for a moment, Jason had a sudden horror that somehow Gaea had returned.

But, a moment later, the earth opened up and a stream of demigods poured forth. They were garbed in a strange assortment of armor, a mix between Greek and Roman, and they each sported a silver design on their cheek. As Jason watched, hundreds of demigods poured forth from the earth until the last one came through and the earth shuddered closed behind them.

The battlefield had grown quiet at their arrival, both sides unsure of what to make of this sudden arrival. For a moment, all fighting had stopped. Even the gods, who for the most part had been combating Tartarus and preventing him from crushing the demigods, stopped their battle. Jason could scarcely believe his eyes and, upon seeing the other demigods, he wasn't alone. Demigods who had died in the battle against Gaea, others who had died long ago, were among those who had come from the earth. And, most surprising of all, was who stood at their front. Annabeth stood in the center, clearly having taken command of these new forces, her gray eyes shining with fierce determination as she surveyed the battlefield. At her left stood Reyna, the real Reyna unless Jason was very mistaken, her eyes a mirror to Annabeth. And, most surprising of all, to Annabeth's right stood none other than Ryker. He alone was not garbed in the armor that the other demigods wore, instead he had some sort of dark clothing that slightly obscured his outline. He looked over the battle, his eyes seemingly scanning until he came across what he was looking for. Jason followed his gaze and saw that he was staring at his mother, Cybele. Ryker smiled slightly and Cybele returned the expression. For the first time Jason saw a goddess cry, Cybele's eyes overflowing with tears of silent happiness.

For a moment it seemed as though the battle would end there. But the Fates, as they always did, had other plans. While Cybele's gaze was diverted from her opponent, the Corrupted Ryker darted forward and, before anyone could shout a warning, shoved his dark aura covered hand into Cybele's back. The effect was instantaneous. The euphoric mood that Jason and the other demigods had taken abruptly turned to horror as they watched, in silent horror, as Cybele's divine glow faded. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. The Corrupted Ryker pulled his aura covered hand out of her back and Cybele pitched forward, falling to the ground most ungracefully. She didn't move.

A cry of such pain and sorrow the likes of which would haunt Jason for the rest of his days poured forth from Ryker as he watched his mother fall. "No!" He screamed, dashing forward with inhuman speed and reaching out for his mother desperately.


	67. Failed Vengeance

He was far too late. Cybele's body had already hit the ground and her clothing had ceased to move several seconds before Ryker even got to her side. The wound in her back spilled ichor onto her dress, staining the rich earthy color with gold. She seemed painfully small to Ryker as he gathered her in his arms and turned him over, his hands shaking. His heart felt as though it was tearing itself apart in his chest, though he had no idea as to why. "Mother," He said in a low voice, "Mother, listen to me! Hear my voice and wake up!"

But Cybele's eyes remained closed. Ichor trickled out of the corner of her mouth, trailing down her face. Ryker placed his ear against her chest, listening intently for a heartbeat or anything at all that could signify her life. But there was nothing. Ryker could not find a flicker of life in her. Even her godly glow, the one that all gods and goddesses possessed, had dimmed. Her body grew colder impossibly fast in Ryker's arms.

"Well, isn't this precious?" The Corrupted who had killed Cybele asked in a low, intense voice. "I suppose that the saying, 'the family is all here' is particularly apt in this situation."

Ryker barely heard the words, but he did hear them. Shaking with rage and sadness he slowly got to his feet. The claws appeared slowly, unbidden and responding to his rage rather than his commands. He finally met the eyes of the Corrupted who had slain his mother and, for a moment, was at a loss. But that quickly passed, subsiding under the weight of his fury. "You." It was one word from the true Ryker, but it carried all of his hatred and despair inside of it. No threat was necessary, his expression said it all.

"Ryker!" A deep, booming voice rang out over the battlefield from the Corrupted side. "Our task has been completed, we're withdrawing for now."

The Corrupted Ryker sighed and glanced back towards his comrades. "Fine, fine." He grumbled.

He turned around and that was when the true Ryker attacked, leaping over Cybele's body and going directly for his Corrupted double's neck. Ryker was fast. The Corrupted was faster. Faster than Ryker could even begin to react to the Corrupted spun around, ripping his saber from its holster and impaling Ryker on it after brushing aside his claws. Ryker felt the searing pain from the blade but did not stop his attack. He drew one clawed hand back and, while the Corrupted twisted the sword in his chest, struck out at the one who had slain his mother. But, again, his efforts were for naught. The Corrupted danced backwards, chuckling softly, his sword red with Ryker's blood. "Well, I suppose seeing which of us is the better version would only be just." Corrupted Ryker mused, leveling his sword at the original once more. "But I am fairly certain that our first exchange was enough evidence for everyone present."

"Shut up!" Ryker snarled, trying to catch his breath as his punctured lung filled with blood. The coppery taste of the crimson liquid coated his tongue. "I'm going to tear you in half."

"Brave words." The Corrupted noted, "But the question remains: can you make good on that threat? Or will you fall like your, pardon me, _our_ mother?"

"SHUT UP!" Ryker roared, dashing across the clearing between them and beginning their duel anew.

The Corrupted was clearly enjoying the fight as he danced in and out of Ryker's range whilst keeping up a biting commentary. "You know, I am rather disappointed with both of you. I expected more from a goddess, and yet she fell so easily. Granted, she was distracted. Ah! Maybe that makes it your fault that she fell so easily. Your arrival pulled attention away from her foe and so she fell. If that's the case, you aren't truly a good substitute." Corrupted Ryker never stopped talking or taunting Ryker even as they fought. His breath was smooth and even, not showing any signs of strain at all. Whereas Ryker's breath was strained and came in ragged bursts, blood now spotting his chin from his damaged lung.

The end of the fight came suddenly. Ryker's poor oxygen intake mixed with his fatigue and failing adrenaline rush caused him to fall to one knee in the middle of a strike. Suddenly unable to keep his arms up, they fell to his sides and left him completely at the mercy of the Corrupted Ryker. Defeated and drained of energy, Ryker mustered the strength to look into the face of his opponent with hatred still burning in his eyes. "I was hoping for more." Corrupted Ryker admitted, seizing Ryker by his throat and hauling him to his feet with one arm, the other leveling the saber directly over his heart. "I was hoping that the thought of vengeance might inspire _someone_ to fight me at a new level. Perhaps one of the gods who were close to her. And yet I was given you. A pathetic excuse for a warrior. I'm going to do you a kindness by killing you."

Ryker didn't turn his eyes away from his Corrupted copy as the sword pierced through his heart, did not give so much as a grunt of pain. The Corrupted Ryker opened his mouth to say more as he withdrew the blade, but he never got the chance. A black and red shafted arrow sang out over Ryker's shoulder and buried itself in the Corrupted demigod's shoulder, forcing him to drop his prisoner. The Corrupted staggered away, his smile gone now and replaced with a fearsome glare. He ripped the arrow from his shoulder just as three more arced up and buried themselves in his chest. He staggered farther back and retreated back to where the rest of Tartarus's forces stood, watching silently.

It was then that Ryker lost consciousness, blood loss and pain robbing him of his senses. Vague images and senses occasionally came to him. A silver light over his eyes, the smell of smoke wafting over him, the taste of nectar on his tongue. He walked in darkness for what seemed a long time, unable to wake up no matter how hard he tried. The silver light returned frequently and Ryker used it as a sort of guide, constantly walking towards where it shone. It never seemed to change places, always appearing in the same spot in the distance. Though he moved towards the light, Ryker did it with very little sense of purpose. The light never seemed to draw closer, nor did he feel as though he was making any real progress. He simply didn't care. He couldn't understand _why_ he didn't car either. His general policy when trapped somewhere he didn't want to be was to escape that place as soon as possible and to make the being keeping him there regret their choice as soon as possible. But, after seeing his mother fall, he simply did not have the willpower to do so. His heart constantly felt as though it was tearing itself apart, a feeling Ryker absolutely loathed. If this was what losing someone important to you felt like, Ryker never wanted anyone to be close to him again. He hadn't even been that close with his own mother! He hadn't met her more than half a dozen times, and yet her death weighed on him as heavily as a ton of weights.

He missed her. The revelation his Ryker as surely as an arrow to the heart. He missed his mother. He felt like he stumbled as he moved through the darkness, though over what he wasn't sure. Tears begin to drip down his face again and Ryker touched a finger to his cheek, examining the liquid. He curled his hand into a fist and looked up at the sky of his dark prison. The tears continued to fall and Ryker blew out a shuddering breath, closing his eyes. He had seen death before, he had caused it more times than he could count, but now that it was him who was dealing with the repercussions of the action the significance of it truly hit him. If this was what he had put the camps through when he had been following Orion's orders, he understood exactly how much he deserved this prison. "At least I brought them back." Ryker muttered, wincing as the silver light flashed in the distance once more. "They can see them again. I'll never see her again."

He wearily continued on his trek, making his way to the silver light. Everything seemed the same, he didn't seem to get any closer, but for some reason the light seemed to be brighter. The pain in his chest did not go away, in fact it only seemed worse after Ryker had made his revelation, but it seemed to be more focused. A sense of purpose slowly dawned on Ryker as he moved. He had caused both camps so much sadness, so much pain. He had probably caused his mother more pain than anyone else and he would never be able to apologize to her or make amends. That simple fact tore at him worse than anything else. He wanted to earn her forgiveness, to apologize. In all honesty, he just wanted to see her one more time if only for just a minute. He wanted his chance to say goodbye. He thought back to the Corrupted Ryker and his resolve only grew stronger. He didn't want any other demigod to go through what he was now feeling. It was unavoidable, death always was, but he could still do his best to delay that confrontation. "I'll protect them." Ryker silently promised himself. "None of them will go through this. I swear it on the River Styx."

Several things happened all at once after his oath. The silver light flashed once again, brighter than it had shined before, blinding him and illuminating his prison. When the temporary blindness wore off, Ryker found himself in a very different setting. And his chest hurt. A lot. He pulled in a slow experimental breath and winced as an expected tendril of pain wormed its way through his chest. He blinked several times and then frowned, unsure of where he was. He was on a bed of some sort, or perhaps a cot, in a silver tent of some sort. It seemed vaguely familiar for some reason, though Ryker could not tell why. He tried to push himself into a sitting position but quickly gave up the effort as his chest protested the change in position. He ran a hand across where the Corrupted Ryker had ran him through and found that he had been bandaged quite heavily. They were not soaked in blood which told him that his wounds had been redressed at least a few times.

He placed his hands back at his sides and stared up at the silver folds of the tent and then closed his eyes, tired. His eyes snapped back open immediately as he realized where he was. "Oh no." He breathed, glancing around him warily. The tent of a Hunter of Artemis. In specific, this looked to be the one where he had killed Jude. "Well that's just typical. Heal me just so they can kill me."

Ryker was not one to go quietly. Despite the pain in his chest, it really did hurt quite a lot, he struggled to a sitting position. This time he did not stop until he managed to accomplish the change, ignoring the worrying popping sound that came from his chest and the subsequent crimson bloom that same from both places he had been stabbed. He took a steadying breath and, after gritting his teeth, swung his legs over the bed. He attempted to summon his bow with the idea of using the weapon as a crutch, but rather than the shadowy thing appearing, a yellow note materialized in his hand. _Temporarily disabled your bow. I.O.U one bow. - Erebus_

"You have got to be kidding me." Ryker moaned, staring down at the floor. It wasn't any more than a few inches to the floor from where his feet hung and yet, to Ryker, it seemed like a mile. He slowly pushed himself off the bed, wincing as his feet touched the ground. Unsurprisingly, walking hurt as much as sitting up did. More, in fact. Each step was fresh agony, even with Ryker using everything he could as a brace or support. Suddenly conscious of what he was wearing he looked down and saw a simple pair of silver shorts on his body, in addition to the bandages. He frowned and wondered where his shadowy clothing had gotten off to. The room he had been staying in was separated from the rest of the tent by a thin silver curtain. It took Ryker several minutes to hobble himself over to the curtain, his dressings now thoroughly stained red, and even longer to push himself off of the cabinet he had been using so that he could grasp the curtain. Ordinarily he would have tried to go under the back of the tent, but he had a strange suspicion that they would have guarded against that escape route after Jude's death. Even if they hadn't he doubted he could muster the strength it required to lift the tent, roll under the fabric, and then get back to his feet. The mere idea of the actions caused his chest to ache even more in preemptive protest. With a deep breath, Ryker slowly drew back the curtain. He wasn't trying to make a dramatic reveal, his arms just wouldn't let him throw back the curtains quickly.

When he fully managed to draw back the curtain he immediately wished he hadn't. A Hunter, who had been walking by, stopped to look at him with an interesting mixture of shock, horror, and outrage. The shock was most likely due to the fact that he was awake after being asleep for however long. The horror was probably her remembering all the things he had done prior to leading the army of newly resurrected demigods to the battlefield. Those two were mere guesses. The third emotion was fairly obvious. The Hunter was in her underwear. Ryker opened his mouth to say something, but the Hunter reacted first. She screamed and her hand shot out, her fist connecting squarely with his chin. Ryker's head rocked back from the force of the impact and his vision grew dark. Normally such a punch wouldn't have done much more than annoy him. But in his weakened state it was more than enough to render him unconscious. Ryker felt his grip on the curtains fail and he fell backwards, landing on the floor, completely out.


	68. Down and Awake

Surprisingly, waking up after being knocked out by a very unhappy Hunter was much less pleasant than being nearly killed. When Ryker's vision swam into relative focus he blinked several times as he watched the ceiling spin above him. He frowned and narrowed his eyes, wondering if he was on a spinning bed for some reason. But the ceiling slowed its rotation after he narrowed his eyes. The first time he had woken up his chest had been paining him severely, which was bad in of itself. Now both his chest _and_ his head were causing him severe pain. He felt something soft wrapped around his forehead and, as expected, when he touched it with his hand he recognized it as bandages.

His chest felt rather tight, uncomfortably so, and he ran a hand down his bandages. He paused halfway down when his hand encountered a leather strap running horizontally across his bandages. He followed the strap with one hand and quickly realized that he had been bound to the bed. He attempted to find the buckle for the strap but, upon being unable to find it, gave an angry sigh and returned his hand back to his side. Evidently they did not want him to get up again and, based on his searing migraine, he didn't think he wanted to either. So, unable to move, he simply laid there and wondered about what punishment they were planning to subject him to. Strangely, after having spent time in the Acheron, nothing that he could think of truly frightened him. His time in the River was far and wide the second-worst pain he had ever felt in his life. The first was undoubtedly when he watched his mother fall.

The thought brought tears back to his eyes and he had a sudden overwhelming desire to see her body, if only to say his final farewells. He struggled against his bonds, grunting and panting with exhaustion, to no avail. He finally gave up, his forehead beaded with sweat from his efforts. He heard the silver curtain move and Ryker steeled his resolve, looking resolutely to the tent's ceiling. "So, you are awake. About time."

Ryker attempted a shrug but the attempt was feeble and restricted. "Apparently."

"How's your head?" The person, definitely female, inquired. "I imagine it doesn't feel too good. You took quite the fall."

Ryker frowned as he attempted to place the voice, his mind working far slower than normal. She was definitely familiar and yet it seemed like it had been years since he had heard her speak. "Who are you?" He asked finally.

"What, you don't recognize me?" The sound of her laughter was soft and sweet in Ryker's ears.

A halo of golden blonde hair encircled his head and Ryker quickly knew to whom he had been speaking. "Victoria." He stated, frowning up at her. "Why are there two of you?"

"Probably because you have a concussion." She informed him, smiling slightly. "Trust me, I am the one and only."

"Don't think I could handle more than one of you." Ryker muttered, closing his eyes.

"Oh please, you can barely handle one of me." She scoffed. Ryker felt her straighten from where she had been standing over him and he opened his eyes again. "So how are you feeling?"

"As good as can be expected, all things considered." Ryker said after a moment's contemplation. "I don't suppose you can get me out of this strap?"

"Sorry, no can do." Victoria told him regrettably. "I just came in here to check on you. If I try to let you up your doctors are both going to kill me."

"Both?" Ryker repeated curiously. "I have more than one?"

"One Hunter-." She giggled slightly as Ryker groaned in dismay, "And one son of Apollo from Camp Half-Blood. They've been the ones in charge of you these past couple days."

"I've only been out a couple of days?" Ryker asked, surprised.

"Yeah, you surprised the Hades out of the Hunter who knocked you out." She chuckled again and shook her head. "That Son of Apollo, Will I think his name is, he and the Hunter didn't think you would be waking up for another couple weeks at most. Your wounds are healing quickly, well they were until you tore the stitches when you got up, which is good. You are still going to have to stay in bed for at least a few more days so your wounds can at least close."

"Uh-uh," Ryker said, his hand trailing along the strap again. "I hate sitting in one spot. I need to move."

"We know. That's why we strapped you down." Victoria said knowingly.

"We?" Ryker repeated. "How many people were in on this idea?"

"A lot." She admitted. "Like, a _lot._ Most of the Hunters, actually I think they just don't want you to run off again. Most of the gods were of the same mind too. It was pretty much decided that having you somewhere that you can't escape from was in everyone's best interest."

Ryker couldn't find an argument for that, nor did he think one was particularly justified. He fell silent for a few more minutes, staring up at the ceiling. "And my mother?" He asked finally, his voice quiet. He knew the answer. Though he couldn't explain it, he had _felt_ it when she had died. "What of her?"

"She's gone, Ryker." Victoria said softly. "I'm so sorry."

He might have known the truth, but it still hurt to hear someone confirm it. He was silent for another few minutes as he processed it before asking, "Her body?"

"It turned to earth a few minutes after she died." Victoria told him. "There wasn't anything to put onto a funeral pyre."

"It's better that way." Ryker said softly. "She was of the forest. It is only fitting that she become part of it in death."

"If there is anything at all I can do, tell me." Victoria told him, pulling up a chair and taking a seat by his head. "Please. You don't have to deal with this alone."

Ryker glanced over at her and smirked. "I don't think anyone can do anything to help me with this." He told her. "I lost my father a very long time ago. I don't really remember him, truth be told. My half-sisters all died a long time ago. And now my mother is gone. I have no one left."

"You have me." Victoria told him, smiling at him. "And the others."

"I betrayed them, Victoria." Ryker reminded her. "I betrayed all of you. I may have brought them all back, but in the end I killed them all the same. They will never trust me. They _shouldn't_ trust me. A wild animal can never be domesticated, I'm sure you have heard that phrase before?"

"Yes, I have. But how did you?" Victoria inquired curiously.

"A dryad once tried to tame a wolf pup that had been abandoned by its mother. It was the runt of the litter." Ryker smiled ruefully at the memory. "I tried to warn her, but she tried to tame it all the same. She told me the phrase several months later after it had bitten her and ran off. It's the same concept here."

"What, that you won't ever be domesticated?" Victoria arched an eyebrow and Ryker suddenly got the awful feeling like she considered his words to be a challenge.

 _Oh no._ He moaned internally, closing his eyes as she spoke again.

"Well, we will just see about that now won't we?" She asked, confidence dripping from every word.

Ryker didn't answer, closing his eyes and silently wishing that he could be anywhere else. The curtain opened again and Ryker was suddenly glad for whoever had entered the tent. With any luck Victoria would stop thinking about ways she could bring him to heel. He doubted it though. She seemed quite determined. "So you are awake." This voice Ryker had no trouble placing. He suddenly wished that it was only he and Victoria again. This was a conversation he was not looking forward to having, and would have been happy never to have had.

"Hello, Artemis." He said resignedly, certain that he was about to be berated and or punished. Probably both. Most likely both.

"Would you mind giving us a moment?" Artemis asked Victoria kindly.

"Of course, my lady." Victoria stood up and Ryker opened one eye to see her struggling to hide a smirk. She glanced slyly at him and winked before sauntering out of the room.

 _I really don't know what I did to deserve her._ Ryker thought to himself despondently. _But I really wish I knew so that I could not do it again. She's relentless._

Artemis, in the guise of the thirteen year old girl she had been when they first met, took a seat where Victoria had been sitting. She stared down at Ryker for a few moments, her chin raised slightly. Ryker stared at the ceiling, his jaw set as he awaited whatever punishment or verbal bashing she was about to give him. "It has been quite a while since we spoke like this." Artemis began.

"Has it?" Ryker asked coolly. He began to wonder if this was the part where other demigods would beg for mercy or forgiveness. If that was what she expected, she was sorely mistaken. He might have sworn an oath to protect the camps, but that did not at all mean that he had to bow and scrape like some of the other demigods. He still had his pride.

"Others in your shoes, after making the choices you did, might take a more polite tone with one of the goddesses you betrayed." Artemis told him coldly.

"Others might. I won't." Ryker attempted to cross his arms out of sheer habit and winced as his chest tinged in pain. "If you are here to punish me, or whatever, just get it over with."

"I suppose that you might consider it a punishment." Artemis said after a moment. "Being bound is evidently something you absolutely despise. So I guess that would mean that bringing you back into the Hunt is a punishment in of itself."

"Come again?" Ryker's eyes snapped open and he glared at Artemis. He had been expecting torture, perhaps being turned into stone or something of the sort. "You are making me rejoin the Hunt?"

"I claimed you." Artemis told him sternly. "At your mother's request, I claimed you as one of my own. I will not sully her name by tossing aside her only son simply because of a bad choice he made. You have more than earned your place back in the Hunt, for both good and bad reasons."

She reached over and Ryker was forced to watch as she placed two fingers on his forehead. Just like before he felt a rush of warmth and energy wash over him. His bindings somewhat muted the shiver that ran through his body, but the sensation ran through him nonetheless. "Fine." Ryker said curtly, knowing that arguing would get him nowhere. "Now can I get up?"

Artemis shook her head slowly. "Jude would be most upset if I interfered with your healing, as would my brother's son." She told him. "Part of the Hunt once more or not, you must heal. And, like it or not, the only way you will heal is to give your body time. You heal quickly, admittedly, but not instantly."

"Look, I'm going to figure out a way out of these bindings." Ryker told her matter-of-factly. "Whether that takes an hour or a week I will get out of them. Let me up. I heal faster if I am connected to the Earth."

Artemis looked over him with exasperation and Ryker met her gaze stubbornly. "Are you deliberately trying to get me into trouble with your doctors?" She asked finally. "If so, please, let me know in advance."

"Let me deal with them." Ryker told her, moving his shoulders. "Now release me!"

"Telling a goddess what to do…" Artemis muttered, getting slowly to her feet. "Why am I not at all surprised by that action? Maybe I should turn you into one of my wolves for a couple years. Maybe that would teach you some respect."

Ryker chuckled darkly in response as if daring her to try. She swept out of the tent leaving Ryker bound to the table. "Hey!" He shouted indignantly, struggling against the accursed strap yet again.

He heard a loud snap and the leather suddenly vanished from around his chest. He breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed against the bed once more. When he finally managed to accumulate the strength to sit up again he took it slowly, swinging his seat over the bed with the utmost care. He tried to summon his bow again but the note from Erebus appeared again and was promptly shredded by Ryker in rage. He slowly eased his weight onto his feet, pleased that no new crimson spots had appeared on his chest. He could feel the stitches protesting against his movement, but thus far they were doing their job and holding up well against his movement.

Making his way to the room's curtain was just as difficult as the first time but he made it nonetheless. He grabbed the curtain and began to draw it back when he thought about the action. Last time it had not gone well for him, not well at all. He drew them back with exceeding slowness, peeking through in case a Hunter was waiting to hit him again. When they were drawn enough for him to step through he did, his eyes darting around warily, but to his surprise no Hunter was currently in the tent. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He made his way around the tent, using the walls to support himself as he walked. He had just reached his arm out to grasp the tent's entrance when a Hunter stepped through, nearly knocking him over in the process. He grasped desperately for something to grab onto as he began to fall but, thankfully, before he did he both grabbed something and the Hunter grabbed his other arm. "Are you alright?" She asked fretfully, assisting him as he regained his balance.

Ryker did a double-take. "Yes, I'm fine." He said hesitantly. "Thank you."

The Hunter smiled at him with what seemed suspiciously like kindness. "You are welcome." She said. She then paused and frowned thoughtfully. "Does Jude know you are up? If you got up without her permission she is going to throw a fit. Again."

Ryker was at a loss. The second he had seen the Hunter he had prepared himself for a battle of insults and yet she was being kind. "I'll be sure to tell her I'm up when I see her." He said.

The Hunter laughed and walked away, disappearing into one of the tent's side compartments. "Well that was odd." Ryker said, turning back to the entrance and making his way out. The afternoon sun stung his eyes and slightly worsened his headache. He put a hand up instinctively to protect his eyes from the sun and when he put them down he saw that the commotion that was commonplace within the camp had died away. He blinked several times to clear away the last spots in his eyes and, when his vision returned, he saw the reason for the lack of noise. Every demigod had stopped what they were doing and were now staring at him. Their expressions varied from awe to suspicion and even to sympathy.

Ryker stood in front of the Hunters' tent, the eyes of the camp upon him, unsure of what to do. His head pounded and the effort that it had taken to get out of the tent had left a thin sheen of sweat on his face. The cheers started with one person, a younger demigod who was laden with what appeared to be broken arrow shafts. After that the enthusiasm spread like wildfire, the demigods cheering and raising their weapons in the air. The cheering, which only further confused Ryker, ended abruptly when a voice cracked out over the noise like a whip. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT OF BED AGAIN?!" Will Solace came marching up to Ryker, his face absolutely livid. It was at that moment that Ryker realized just how intimidating the son of Apollo could be.


	69. Plan and Review

Love was in the air at Camp Jupiter. That was not an expression, it was quite literal. Aphrodite, or Venus depending on her mood, was floating around on her cloud enjoying all the happy looks from demigods who were reunited with their formerly departed loved ones. Cupid, or Eros, would generally be only a few meters behind her. It was extremely distracting, the two of them. Aphrodite seemed to be having a wonderful time 'blessing' people as she called it with love or romantic attraction. Cupid had begun a list of all the demigods whom she had spoken with and word quickly spread through the camp that the two were to be avoided at all costs.

"Well, they are back though." Frank said fairly as the group stood around the War Room. The mood was much lighter than it had been in the previous meeting, like night and day. "So it kind of makes sense that the gods would take an interest in them."

"Oh, shut up." Nico said irritably. "It would be better if those… four? Two? Would just let them have their peace. A lot of them haven't seen each other in years. They should give them a chance to just be happy for a bit."

"I mean, most of the couples have sort of figured out how to avoid them." Leo said fairly, a grin playing at the corner of his lips. "I mean, come on, when was the last time that anyone saw Percy or Annabeth?"

"Actually, that's a good question." Reyna said, frowning slightly.

"I rest my case." Leo waggled his eyebrows and Calypso smacked him playfully. He turned to Nico and spread his arms wide. "Alright death boy, what's the word from your father? What is going to happen with the demigods Ryker brought back?"

"One, don't call me death boy or I will shadow-travel you to the moon." Nico said, examining his fingernails. "Two, I don't think anything will happen to them."

"So Thanatos is just going to let us leave?" Clarisse asked incredulously.

"Oh, trust me, he doesn't like it." Nico reassured her. "If he had it his way then he would bring you all back to Elysium right now. But, unfortunately for him and fortunately for us, there is a precursor to our situation. When my father allowed Orpheus the chance to take Eurydice back from the Underworld, even though Orpheus failed, he set a precedent. Since Ryker was successful my father has no choice but to let you stay."

"And Thanatos can't do anything about it?" Hazel asked, smiling. She had the distinct impression that Nico was pleased to pull one over on the god of death.

"Oh, he put an appeal in." Nico assured her, his face lighting up when Will strode into the tent. The son of Apollo kissed his boyfriend on the cheek and put an arm around his waist as Nico said, "But, due to the circumstances, my father won't approve it. The gods are pretty much in agreeance that without them we wouldn't have won."

"I'm still not sure we can call that winning." Piper said softly.

The others fell silent as they considered her words. She was right, of course, that it wasn't a true victory. Even with their ranks bolstered by the dead demigods the two camps had suffered heavy losses. Their resolve had been wavering when the new forces appeared, strengthening them once more. But if Ryker had been even a minute later there was every chance that the two camps would not have gained the strength to keep fighting. They had managed to kill most of the monsters that had been in the enemy forces but only fifteen of the Corrupted demigods had been incapacitated. Their bodies had been taken somewhere by the gods and were being kept somewhere they could not cause any further trouble. But that had not been the biggest issue. Tartarus had taken a little over fifty demigods. But the forces that he had numbered almost three times that. They had quickly discovered why after they had compared notes about the battle. Demigods who had never made it to camp were among the Corrupted, all of whom were Corrupted as well. For some reason their originals were not among the group that Ryker had led back to the surface.

Leo clapped his hands together loudly, startling everyone from their thoughts. "Hey, we are all still alive and there hasn't been any sign of Tartarus or his forces since." He shrugged and grinned. "As long as we are still around to keep fighting I am going to call that a win."

"But it doesn't explain _why_ they left though." Frank muttered, "Even with the additional forces they had us on the ropes. If they pushed a bit harder, especially after killing Cybele, they could probably have wiped us out."

"Maybe killing a goddess was their point?" Will suggested darkly. "Do some damage to us and then prove that they have the ability to kill a god? That is a sure way to send a message."

"That makes sense," Frank agreed, "But still, why stop there?"

"Maybe let morale drop?" Clarisse suggested. "Maybe they thought that seeing a god fall would demoralize us. It would make it easier for them next time if our fighters were so scared that they could barely fight."

"In which case they were wrong." Will said firmly. "Everyone I have seen has, mostly, been really happy. A few are still worried, actually I think everyone is still a little worried, but this is the happiest I have seen the camps in a long time. The Hunters and Amazons too. Actually, I think we need to have a sit down with Hylla."

"Oh no," Reyna said, making a long face. "What has my sister done now?"

"Well, it's not so much what _she_ has done as to what her warriors are _doing_." Will corrected with a wince. "I don't know if you have noticed but a lot of the male demigods around here have been wearing these metal collars. A few of them woke up with em on, others might have been ambushed. I think the Amazons are making a joke out of it."

"Oh, so that explains it." Leo said. "We had a couple guys come by the shop earlier today and asked us to get them off. I was wondering how they even got on there."

"So you _can_ get them off?" Reyna said with a relieved sigh. "Thank goodness. If you wouldn't mind, could you keep doing so while I speak to my sister?"

"Sure, put the word out." Leo shrugged. "Anyone with an iron collar on them can come to the Vulcan/Hephaestus cabin for some fixing up."

"So was there anything else?" Frank asked, glancing around the room. "Any other pressing issues that have come up?"

"Well, Ryker is proving as difficult as ever," Will shrugged. "But that is more of a medical personnel problem."

"Is it true that he got punched by a Hunter-." Hazel began to ask.

Will raised a hand, forestalling her words. "Don't ask." He advised her pointedly. "Trust me. Just. Don't."

"Bit of a sore subject?" Leo was clearly working hard to stifle his laughing, his shoulders shaking with the effort. The tale had spread around the camp and was quickly becoming the stuff of campfire legends. It was actually a far more requested tale than Ryker leading an army of demigods back from death.

"So how is our boy doing?" Leo asked finally, having gotten over his laughing fit.

"Well as can be expected." Will said fairly.

Jason listened for a little while before jerking his head out of the tent, glancing pointedly at Piper. The two discreetly exited the tent and were quickly followed by several of the others. "So, what now?" Jason asked her, taking her hand in his. "We could try to find Percy and Annabeth. Make sure that they aren't getting into too much trouble."

"They are at the bottom of the lake." Piper admitted. "I doubt we could actually get to them, and even if we did I really don't want to bother them. Seems like it would be a bit rude."

"Fair point." Jason laughed. He watched the tent as Will and Nico exited with Calypso and Leo following behind them a few minutes later. "You know, it's strange. This isn't over, not by a long shot, but I can't help but feel like… Like…"

"Like things are settled?" Piper nodded in understanding. "I get the feeling. No one is usually this happy until a quest is finished or we complete some prophecy. But we haven't and everyone is still so… relaxed. It makes me a little worried."

"We have scouts out." Jason reminded both Piper and himself. "They haven't reported anything at all."

"I know… but still." Piper shrugged and smiled at him, pulling him down so that she could kiss him. "I just can't help but worry."

"Why don't we go check on Ryker?" Jason suggested. He then reconsidered this and shivered. "Actually, _you_ can go visit him. I feel like I would get turned into a pincushion if I tried to go into the Hunters' tent."

"Or punched." Piper giggled deviously and Jason laughed. "You know we can't ever let him forget that, right?"

"Never." Jason agreed immediately.

They fell quiet again, a thought coming into their minds at the same moment. "What do you think the gods are going to do?" He asked finally.

It was a very important question. The day after the battle the demigods of the camps had awoken to find that most of the gods were nowhere to be found. Some remained, perhaps a quarter of them, but their numbers had been drastically reduced nonetheless. The demigods had attempted to question those that remained but none of them would speak on the matter. One particularly forceful demigod had found himself turned into a potted plant after refusing to leave Ceres alone. He had yet to be turned, no matter how much the Demeter children watered him or put him in sunlight and Ceres refused to turn him back until he apologized. Which, as a plant, presented its own difficulties for the demigod. Some had returned but many were still gone. This loss of power had been noted by the demigods en masse but many of them had simply attributed it to the gods' habit of coming and going at their own leisure. Thus far no one had yet to worry about the issue or, if they had, their friends had reassured them and silenced the issue. The issue, as Jason and Piper saw it, was that many of the demigods were still basking in their survival and the return of their friends. They only saw what they wanted to, which was the hope that had been brought to them.

"I think seeing one of their own get killed scared them." Piper told him quietly as they walked around the border of the camp. "I think that it sort of put their own immortality into question. I was standing next to Hercules when it happened and even he went all pale and he looked actually… afraid."

"So you think that they might not be willing to fight with us next time, because of that?" Jason asked heavily. "That we might be pretty much on our own."

"It's not like we aren't used to doing these things on our own anyways." Piper reminded him. "The gods have been leaving problems like this to demigods for… well, for pretty much all time."

"And the one time we actually need them they bail on us." Jason sighed despondently. "Figures. At least we still have a few on our side."

"And Tartarus can't make any more Corrupted out of our friends." Piper said optimistically. "So we at least have that going for us."

"We'll need to start sending out more search parties for wayward demigods." Jason observed. "Just so that Tartarus can't Corrupt them and turn them against us. Besides, that will be a few more fighters for us."

"A lot of them won't have ever even held a sword before." She reminded him. "It's a bit much to hope that they will fight for us."

"Hey, as long as they aren't on Tartarus's side I am going to consider that they are fighting for us." Jason shrugged. "You know, I've been wondering something. I thought that Orion was on Tartarus's side. If that's true, why did he save Ryker when the other Ryker was about to kill him?"

"Maybe because Ryker once fought with him?" Piper suggested uncertainly. "I don't know. It would have definitely made Tartarus angry, and since Artemis is against him…. It just doesn't make any sense."

The two continued to speak on the issue as they returned to camp, but their words were heard by more than the one they intended them for. Orion stood on the border of the camp, hidden by the trees, listening to them. He smirked and shook his head as they questioned his motives. "They have no idea." He muttered to himself, readjusting his grip on his bow. He looked over the camp to where the Hunters' tents were, and to where Ryker was being kept. "I think that I am long overdue for a reunion, old friend." It was unclear, even to Orion, to whom he was speaking to.


	70. Preparations

"Well, well, well…" Leo's voice dripped saccharin and mockery as he greeted Percy and Annabeth. "It's nice of you two to join us again. I hope you two had fun in your absence."

"Shut up, Valdez." Percy said, the tips of his ears turning a bright red. "No one asked you to keep tabs on us."

"Which is precisely why I did it." Leo said loftily, smirking as Calypso smacked him.

"Ignore him," She advised. "It works for everyone else."

"Oh, trust me, we know." Annabeth told her sagely, her cheeks matching the color of Percy's ears. She gestured expansively to the surrounding camp and asked, "What's going on?"

Her question was in reference to the decorations that had seemingly sprung up out of nowhere. Lares were drifting through them, ghostly party hats affixed to their heads. Leo glanced around and shrugged. "The camp leaders, you two excluded since you were off-."

"Everyone decided that it would be good if we got out minds off of things for a bit." Calypso said, firmly placing her hand over Leo's mouth. "The leaders were thinking about a game of Capture the flag, but then Apollo stepped in and, well, you can see how things turned out from there."

"So Apollo demanded that we throw a party?" Percy asked incredulously. "With Tartarus still trying to kill us?"

"Actually he didn't call it a party, he called it a reverse-funeral." Leo corrected, removing Calypso's hand from his mouth.

"Of course he did."

"Actually, I agree with him." Annabeth told them, her lips pursed as she contemplated the idea. "Everyone has been so tense with all of... this going on. It would be good for morale if we had a party."

"Reverse-funeral."

"Not calling it that."

"What about Tartarus?" Percy argued. "If we throw this party we'll be leaving ourselves wide open."

"From what we can tell they aren't anywhere near us right now." Leo explained. "We've been sending out scouts and so far none of them have reported a thing. It looks like they just sort of packed up and left."

"That makes no sense." Annabeth said slowly. "What gives?"

"That is precisely the question that we have been asking as well." Chiron told them, walking up to them in his white stallion form. "And thus far our answers have been just as noncommittal."

"By 'we' I assume you mean the gods?" Annabeth guessed. When Chiron nodded she blew out a sigh. "I hate not knowing what the enemy is doing. Why can't Tartarus be more like Kronos or Gaea? We knew what their end goal was and how they were going to do it."

"Unfortunately it seems like Tartarus has learned from their mistakes." Chiron said. "But dwelling upon what we do not know will not bring us that knowledge. For now we may as well enjoy this evening's festivities. It would do well if you four would change into more appropriate clothing. As I understand it, since this is the first… reverse-funeral… Apollo wants it to be memorable."

Percy and Annabeth looked down at their Camp Half-Blood T-shirts and their shorts and then back to Chiron in confusion. "What kind of clothes are we supposed to wear?" Annabeth demanded.

"Apollo has decreed that it will be a formal affair." Chiron said with a sympathetic wince.

"Come on, Annabeth." Calypso said with a tired smile. "I'll help you find something to wear. I doubt you have any dresses."

"I have to wear a dress?" Annabeth asked, outraged. "What gives?"

Calypso consoled her as she led her away, presumably taking her to her tent. Percy waved at her and sent her a sympathetic smile while Leo fought valiantly to keep himself from tearing up as he laughed at her expression. "You know she is going to make you suffer for making light of her discontent." Chiron reminded Leo.

"Translation: she is going to kick your butt for laughing at her." Percy said, elbowing his friend in the ribs good-naturedly. "And I might help."

"Oh, it is _so_ going to be worth it." Leo shrugged, managing to bring his laughter into a slight chuckle. "Besides, this reverse-funeral-."

"Still not calling it that."

"Will be awesome!" Leo finished, glaring at Percy reproachfully. "I mean, come on, we haven't had a break in weeks. The gods say that we are in the clear. There's no prophecies going around, no monsters anywhere near us, let's just enjoy ourselves man. It's one freaking night. We can afford to take it easy for one night, right?"

"I guess…." Percy said, unconvinced. "It might be good if we were just-."

"A bunch of the Hunters, the ones who don't want to go to a party with boys, are going to be patrolling the perimeter." Leo said immediately, cutting his friend off. He grabbed Percy by the arm and began to frog-march him away with a surprising amount of forcefulness. "You _will_ have a good time at this shindig-."

"Did you just use the word shindig? What are you eighty?"

"Are you deliberately trying to make me lose my mind?" Leo wondered. "Come on, you can't say that you don't need to relax even a little bit. I saw how you got when Annabeth was… gone. You need to unwind just like everyone else."

"I guess." Percy said grudgingly. "So where is this all… Oh."

"Yeah." Leo agreed, ceasing his efforts to pull his friend along. "Oh."

The Senate chambers had been completely redecorated by someone. The stone pillars had been adorned with rows and rows of flowers of every shape and color. Each pillar sported different color schemes and flowers, no two stones looking even remotely the same. The colors were so varied yet they still managed to go well together. In the center of the Senate Chamber was, much to Percy's delight and embarrassment, a stone fountain of Poseidon. The water spouted from the three prongs of his trident and from the god of the sea's mouth. For all intents and purposes it looked like Poseidon was spitting out a nonstop stream of water. Where the leaders of Camp Jupiter usually sat was now a massive table that had the biggest speakers Percy had ever seen on either side. A familiar looking golden haired god stood in the center of the table, frowning as he messed with something electronic. He glanced up and his gaze immediately fell upon Leo and Percy. "Aah! Leo Valdez!" Apollo called happily, clapping his hands and releasing a shower of golden sparks over his head.

"Yeah, I see you Apollo." Leo called, blinking as the impromptu light show temporarily blinded him. "The sparks weren't really necessary."

"Oh, you think they might be going a bit overboard?" Apollo asked fervently, switching his gaze back to the electronic disc-jockey table he had before him. "I think it might be too. Every time I do it in full-."

"What, that wasn't in full?" Percy asked incredulously.

"Oh, not even remotely!" Apollo said, his voice bordering on horrified. "That paltry performance was simply me flexing a bit. Oh no, the real performance is far more impressive! But the issue is that, whenever I try, my table bursts into flame!"

"It does WHAT?!" Leo demanded, shoving Apollo aside as he began to run his hands over the table and frowning. "You set my baby on fire? Why would you do that?!"

"It was certainly not on purpose!" Apollo seemed even more outraged, though Percy wasn't sure if that was because Leo had pushed him aside or if the god took offense to the idea of setting things on fire without meaning to. Maybe some combination of both. "If I were to set this on fire it would be a grand fire!"

"Well, don't!" Leo snapped, his hands reaching into his magical tool belt as he ducked beneath the table. "HOW DID YOU SET THE ADAPTER ON FIRE?!"

"I'm going to go…" Percy said slowly.

"Percy, your suit is on your bed." Leo called. "You know, the one in the Neptune temple. The one that you haven't slept in for days because-."

"I get it, I get it." Percy snapped, his ears turning crimson again. "Give it a rest already, would you?"

"Aah, Mr. Jackson!" Apollo said, sweeping down from where he had been standing at the table. "It has been quite a while since you and I spoke! I will walk with you to your father's temple so that we may reminisce."

Leo peeked out from behind the table and watched them go, shaking his head slightly before ducking back below and attempting to fix the damage that Apollo had managed to wrought in the thirty minutes Leo had left him alone with the table. "Gods." He muttered, taking a pair of wire snips out of his tool belt. "Can't trust any of them with a delicate machine like this."

On the other side of camp a very strange argument was taking place. Unfortunately for Ryker, he was a part of it. "I'm not wearing that." He said with finality, though he had been repeating the statement for the better part of half an hour.

"Oh, yes you are." Thalia argued, pointing at the suit that had been laid out specifically for Ryker. It was jet black with a forest green and silver vest, a nod to his part in the Hunt and to his mother. "You are going to wear that and you are going to like it."

"I am not going to wear it, and even if I do I am certainly not going to like it." He growled, the reverberations in his chest causing him to wince as they pained his still-tender wounds. "I still do not understand the point of this."

"The party?" Thalia asked tiredly, throwing up her hands in the air. "We've gone over this, it's just a way to blow off some steam."

"We could be using this time to ready ourselves for Tartarus's next move." Ryker pointed out, crossing his arms and leaning carefully against one of the poles that supported the center of the tent. Their argument had started in his quarters but had since spilled out onto the main section as other Hunters put in their opinions.

"Can't do that since we don't know what it is." Thalia reminded him.

"She's right." One of the Hunters said, poking her head out of her quarters though the curtains remained drawn. "We can only prepare so far before we run out of things to do. And we sorta reached that point when you were sleeping."

"Then finding out the next step of Tartarus and his Corrupted should be our focus." Ryker snapped.

"Oh, yes, I forgot. We know exactly where they are and have been keeping that information from you this entire time." The Hunter, Ryker vaguely remembered her name as Trish or something along those lines, disappeared back into her quarters. She reappeared a few seconds later and added, "That was sarcasm by the way. In case you couldn't tell. We still have no idea where he is at." She then disappeared back inside her quarters.

"I knew it was sarcasm." Ryker said moodily, scratching absentmindedly at his chest. He glared at Thalia suspiciously. "Why the keen interest on making me join in on these festivities?"

"Oh, you know, Artemis wanted us to go." Thalia said evasively. "No other reason."

Ryker's answering stare was even more suspicious than his glare had been. "You are lying." He said clearly. "Why?"

"Come to the party." Thalia said simply. "Someone wants to see you."


	71. Reckoning

"You know, this attire does not make very much sense." Ryker observed, studying his sleeves and his pants. He looked at himself over the shoulder of a Hunter as she adjusted her silver necklace. "Yours at least offers you something in the way of maneuverability. Your upper body is unencumbered for the most part. Excellent for aiding your reflexes."

"For the last time, these clothes aren't meant for fighting." Thalia said, marching into the tent with little black clips in her mouth. Her hands were behind her head as she attempted to do something that Ryker did not understand. "They are meant to look good."

"I am afraid that I still do not understand that concept." Ryker shrugged, drawing more than one angry glare from the Hunters around him. He frowned at them in response. "What?"

Thalia rolled her eyes and muttered something that Ryker didn't quite catch. "Nothing, Ryker. Now make yourself useful and help me zip up my dress." She turned her back to him as she continued to fuss with her hair. "Come on, I don't have all day."

Ryker yanked the dress's zipper a bit harder than necessary and the zipper's tab snapped off when it reached the top of Thalia's dress. He frowned and stared down at the little piece of metal, somewhat concerned that he had just done something that would get him into trouble. When Thalia began to turn around he discreetly slipped it into the pocket of his pants and affected a bored look. "Anything else?" He asked, looking around at the girls as they slipped in and out of the main room.

"Nothing you can help with." Thalia said firmly, grabbing him from behind by the shoulders and steering him out of the tent. "Only girl stuff left, and you aren't allowed to be in here for that. You've seen what happens when you interrupt girl time."

"That was not my fault." Ryker snapped back irritably. It had become a running joke among the Hunters that he had actually been trying to sneak a peek at them. It was not a joke he was a fan of, nor was the nickname that they gave him. He neither knew who this Tom character was nor why Peeping was in his title. There were far better verbs that one could use instead. Thalia winked at him as she pulled the tent flap closed and, from within, there was a muffled zipping sound as she sealed the tent from anyone who attempted to get inside. "Hunters." He said the word like a curse, kicking irritably at a stone that was poking up from the earth.

"I suppose that it can only be expected that there would be some… difficulties that must be dealt with or overcome." Artemis said, striding up to Ryker in her adult form. Like her Hunters she wore a brilliant silver dress, though hers was much plainer than some of the others. "Give it time, I am sure that they will grow accustomed to you."

"Not sure I want them to grow any more accustomed to me than they already are." Ryker said gruffly, examining his sleeves once more. They were terribly itchy and uncomfortable. He already yearned for the much more simple attire he usually wore. "This kindness they have been showing me is… disconcerting. I fear they are secretly planning some manner of revenge."

"No, no." Artemis said reassuringly. "To my knowledge they are not planning any form of vengeance against you. Well, not in the way you are thinking. You will find that they are quite friendly to their compatriots. You have only seen them when you were unwanted or when they have been around the camps. When it is just us in the wilderness they are far more relaxed and fun-loving."

"Uh-huh."

"You sound surprised."

"Do I?" Ryker inquired, considering his tone. He hadn't thought that he conveyed anything. He had been working on that since he had woken up. Conveying more emotions than simple disdain or contempt. It was harder than he had thought, especially since emotions such as happiness and sadness were not useful in the wild. Generally speaking too much of either led to one becoming prey. He had learned from a very young age that controlling emotions was tantamount to survival. "Hm. I need to work on that then."

"You do that." Artemis said with an eye roll. She took a step forward and grabbed the lapels of Ryker's suit, adjusting it in some way. "In the meantime, try to enjoy tonight will you?"

"There is truly no point to this festivity." Ryker said for perhaps the thousandth and first time. "And these clothes-."

"You know, if you keep degrading the clothes the Hunters wear you may find yourself strung up by your feet. It wouldn't be the first time." Artemis warned him. "A compliment goes a long way with people."

"So you want me to lie to them?" Ryker asked. There was an angry growl behind him and he turned around to see one of the Hunters glare at him before retreating back into the tent. He turned his attention back to Artemis to see her holding her head in her hands. "I said something bad again, didn't I?"

"Well, at least you know you did." She said tiredly. "I suppose that might be some slight progress."

"It doesn't change the fact that I am right."

"And just like that we are back to square one."

"I don't understand that expression." Ryker said, shrugging.

"Never mind that for now. I think that the first thing you need to be taught is the concept to quit while you are ahead." Artemis mused, almost to herself. "But that is for a later discussion."

"Hey, Ryker!" Leo called jogging into the clearing. He was wearing a suit similar to Ryker's except that his vest was red and seemed to be smoking slightly. Jason and Percy followed after him a few moments later. "You ready man?"

"I sincerely doubt that I could prepare myself for whatever may come tonight." Ryker said guardedly.

"Oookay. Taking that as a yes." Leo said.

A tense moment passed as Ryker and Percy came face to face for the first time since the dead demigods had returned to the surface. They stood a few feet apart, the others, even Artemis, remaining quiet. They understood that this was something that the two of them needed to resolve on their own. "You went too far." Percy said finally, his words careful and controlled. "You didn't _need_ to kill so many-."

"On the contrary, I could have gone a lot farther." Ryker interrupted coldly. "But you don't really care about that, not right now at least, do you? Your grudge is that I killed your beloved Annabeth, isn't it?"

Perhaps it was Ryker's tone or the reminder that Annabeth had been killed, but Percy's face went pale. "How… how can you say that like it doesn't mean anything at all?" He asked, his voice nearly a whisper. "Like you don't- or maybe you don't care- but the rest of us do! Do you know what it was like, not knowing that they were going to come back? That they died?!"

"I have a far better idea than you think." Ryker answered, now working to keep his voice cold. The memory of watching his mother fall was replaying itself over and over in his mind and he wasn't certain as to how he could turn it off. "Much better."

"Because you watched your mom die?" Percy asked hoarsely with a barked laugh. "As if you cared-."

"I think that's enough." Artemis interrupted him, stepping between the two and placing a hand on each of the boys' chests.

"No, let him continue." Ryker said, brushing her hand aside and taking a step around her so that he was within arms' reach of Percy. "Go on, continue what you were saying."

"As if you cared about her." Percy said finally, his hand slipping casually into his pocket presumably to grab the pen that was Riptide in his hand. "You even said that you only cared about yourself."

"Percy, come on man, easy." Jason said soothingly, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Ryker did some bad things but he made it right in the end. He brought them all back."

"No, he's right." Ryker said. He paused as he registered the slight waver in his voice and then continued once he was certain that he was in control once more. "He's right. I cared only about myself. I may have made it right, but at the time I did not know that I would be bringing them back. Until Annabeth, I did not know that the goal was for me to bring them back. I killed every one of them with the expectation that they would be gone for good."

That silenced Leo and Jason, both of whom seemed to be torn between taking Percy's side and attempting to help their friend get over his rage against Ryker. "The Fates work in strange ways." Artemis reminded all of them. "No matter how the final goal was reached, it was attained nonetheless. The demigods that were killed have returned. Thanks to Ryker. And at great personal loss."

"Look, as much fun as this little reunion has been, there is one wicked party going on." Leo said a little uncertainly, glancing between Ryker and Percy who were still glaring at one another. "And I _really_ wanna see Calypso. I mean, you guys have seen how good she looks on a day to day basis, but at a _party?_ Oh man, I am not staying away any more. I'm heading off, you guys are coming with me."

"Sure thing man." Jason agreed, throwing an arm around Percy's shoulder and leading him away. He paused and glanced back at Ryker and added, "She's waiting for you, you know. I wouldn't make her wait much longer. Seems like she might be scary if she has to wait too long."

"You go on ahead." Ryker told him, wary of who he was speaking about. "I'll…. See you there."

"Your funeral." He heard Jason mutter before the trio departed. Ryker watched them go, a strange mixture of feelings going through him.

"Come on man," Jason muttered to Percy, elbowing him in the ribs none too gently. "Don't you think that was a bit harsh?"

"Maybe." Percy admitted, rubbing his ribs. He sighed and shook his head. "I just… I couldn't help but remembering how _angry_ I was at him for killing Annabeth. Everything just sort of… came out. I really didn't mean to say all that."

"I'm not saying you should apologize, but dude, you gotta make peace with him eventually." Leo added, his eyes bright as they rounded the corner and beheld the spectacle before them.

Camp Jupiter was lit up in such a way that no one had ever seen before. Floating balls of light of every color were strewn through the camp, pulsing in time with the music. Somehow Apollo had made it so that the music could only be heard when the party goers were in a set radius of the dance floor. There were so many decorations and additions to the camp, courtesy of the many gods who had deigned to attend, that even the demigods' ADHD brain could not even begin to notice all of them. The gods had certainly dressed for the event, all of them wearing their best attire. Apollo stood at his disc-jockey table, clearly enjoying all the dancing as he worked his divine magic on the music. The dance floor was packed with gods, satyrs, Lares, demigods and many more, all of them dancing wildly to the music. Even from where they stood the three boys could feel the music pulling at them to go dance.

"I think that Apollo might have enchanted the music." Jason said, raising his voice to be heard over the loudness. "I really don't think Thanatos would be dancing with that little girl otherwise."

"I think that's his daughter actually." Percy offered, grinning from ear to ear at the sight of the god of death dancing in circles. "But, still, I think you are right. Please, tell me someone is taking pictures."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that." Nico said, materializing out of the shadows cast by one of the orbs of light with Will at his side. "I have made sure to get _plenty_ of pictures. And the night is so young too. Lots more pictures to take, so little time."

"He thinks it will be a good idea to have something to hold over the gods' heads." Will explained, rolling his eyes as Nico melted back into the shadows, leaving him behind. "I told him to leave me out of it. I don't feel like being turned into a tree. Or have Aphrodite do something to me I would really rather not happen. Where's Ryker? I thought you three went to get him?"

"Uh, well, you see, he and Percy didn't really get along very well." Leo said mildly. "Some words might have been said that weren't very kind, by both parties."

Jason looked at his friend in surprise. "You know, that sounded almost mature. Calypso must be having one hell of an effect on you."

"Oh, you have no idea." Leo said wickedly, waggling his eyebrows.

"There's normal Leo." Jason sighed.

"I really hope you weren't too harsh on him, Percy." Will said disapprovingly. "He's not exactly in the best place psychologically speaking."

"Yeah, well, when has he ever been?" Percy said roughly, shrugging. He wasn't at all pleased about being berated for what he perceived to be a fair and just action on his part.

"Oh, he was fine before." Will said, surprising him. "He might have been a bit… rough around the edges but his sense of identity was stable. Lately though, it has been somewhat fluctuating. A loss like his has a tendency to do that to one. You went through the same thing when you lost Annabeth, but you have come back under control since."

"And you are saying that Ryker, the one who doesn't care about anything but himself, is going through what I went through?" Percy asked disbelievingly. "I don't buy it."

"It doesn't matter if you don't but it or not." Will shrugged, raising his hands. "I can sense everything about someone just from touching them, remember? He might hide it better than most, but he is really hurting inside. His issue is that he doesn't know how to address pain like that. Loss, I mean."

"Hey!" A very annoyed female voice shouted. The four boys looked over to see a very annoyed looking Silver standing a dozen feet away, her hand on her hip. "I thought you guys went to get Ryker for us? What gives?"

"Uh, technical difficulties?" Leo called hopefully. "If you would just call back from the hours of-."

"Shut up, Leo." Silver said irritably, smoothing out the front of her dress and striding past them purposely. "Never send a man to do a woman's job."

"You know, I think he is actually surrounded by females and they haven't had much luck either." Will called.

Silver paused and whirled around on the spot, pointing one finger at Will. "They aren't me." She said confidently, turning back around and disappearing around the corner.


	72. The Second Hunt

"That's him?" The lack of enthusiasm in the young demigod garbed in red gear could not have been plainer. He slowly lowered the binoculars from his eyes and looked down from where he sat in the tree, down to where Orion stood with his arms folded leaning against the trunk of the same tree. "The one you constantly speak about? The one who made it through Tartarus on his own?"

"Yes, Dante." Orion said tiredly, annoyed with the lack of trust in the demigod's voice. Dante leapt lightly down from the branch and floated lazily down to earth. He touched down lightly, his descent far slower than it should have been. His divine parent was a bit of a personal mystery to Orion as, to the best of his knowledge, none of the many gods he knew spawned demigods who had the ability to manipulate the gravity around them. "He is the one I have told all of you about."

Arrayed before Orion was a group of demigods, all of them garbed in red hunting gear slightly similar to the clothing that the Hunters of Artemis wore. Slightly. Those who served Artemis wore clothing that was made to provide ease of movement. Their clothing did very little in the way of protecting their flesh, favoring speed over defense, and that was the principal defense between them. The red armor was clearly designed for battle, the material thicker than that of which the Hunters wore. The sleeves had been cut off however, allowing the demigods to use their weapons with far more ease. Their weapons were another major difference between the two groups. Whereas the Hunters of Artemis all gravitated towards long knives or bows like their patron, the demigods in red possessed a myriad of weapons. The last difference between the two groups was obvious. The Hunters of Artemis were female. Orion smiled as he looked over his group. _His_ Hunters were all male.

"He doesn't look like much." One of them said bluntly, glowering in the general direction of the camp. It was not hard to see the animosity dancing behind his eyes, nor was it hard for Orion to understand it. His Hunters were all forgotten demigods, ones whom the camps had not found and brought to them. Down to the last of the boys standing before him, they had each learned to survive on their own. They had stolen, scavenged, and fought for everything they had. Monsters had forced them to flee their homes lest their loved ones be pulled into their own misery. They had lived on the streets, or places like it, doing whatever they could to survive. Warriors, each and every one of them, and battle-hardened ones at that. When Orion had first begun to recruit them, it had not been easy. They mistrusted him instantly, and for good reason, and because of that wariness each one of them took time to convince to join his hunt. But the prospect of a better life is one that not many people, especially those with so little such as them, could hope to refuse.

They had not been easy to find, even for one such as Orion who had hunted and tracked prey for centuries. But years of fending off monsters had taught them to not leave so much as a trace of their presence. Many of them had been just as wild as Ryker had, some potentially even more so. Their independence had presented a challenge for Orion, one that he had not foreseen. They did not wish to follow any orders other than their own, and each demigod expected the others to follow their own command. The solution was fairly obvious to Orion; he needed a second in command. They followed his orders, only barely sometimes but they did, but he knew that he would not be able to be with them at all times. It had taken Orion less than a second to think of who he would take as his second in command. Though he had not started his own group of Hunters yet, Ryker had been the first demigod who had fought alongside him.

He had been there to witness Ryker's return from Tartarus, leading the army of demigods behind him. His Hunters had been there as well and Orion was sure that he had seen grudging respect on their eyes as they beheld Ryker for the first time. Unfortunately, that respect had quickly turned to scorn and contempt after he was so quickly dispatched by the Corrupted version of himself. Orion had brought his bow up without truly thinking about the consequences and had launched his volley of arrows just as quickly. But the damage had been done, and now it had just gotten worse. His Hunters had been watching the camp for several days and their opinion of Ryker had dropped quickly, especially after they had heard rumors about him being felled by a Hunter of Artemis in a single blow.

"Yes," Orion agreed heavily, looking over his Hunters again. They had hungry eyes, _his eyes,_ ones that searched for a fight as eagerly as their next meal. "Right now I agree he is rather pathetic. I had thought that, perhaps, Tartarus would kill the last weakness inside him. From what you have told me, he was sentenced to the greatest punishment in the Underworld, the river Acheron. Perhaps it was that, or perhaps it was the sight of his mother falling. Regardless, that demigod you have seen is not the one whom I hunted with. _That_ is a pale imitation that we must get rid of as soon as possible. The demigod that I hunted with, the one who will lead you in my stead, he is a hunter the likes of which you have never seen before. Though I am not sure how, we will find a way to bring him back. This pathetic weakling who is on Artemis's beck and call must be crushed out of him."

"The hunt might bring him back." One of them suggested slyly, readjusting the position of the broadsword on his back. The demigod who had spoken was of a darker complexion and bore three scars running parallel down his face, a testament to his run in with an _empousai_.

"Care to elaborate on that, Erik?" Orion suggested, gesturing expansively.

"We are all hunters here." He began slowly, drawing his eyes around to make contact with every demigod present. "Every one of us. We have proven ourselves, if not to each other than to Orion. But _him_? The only thing that he has proven is that he is lucky. So I say, let's give him something to hunt. That which sings to all of our blood, that which haunts our dreams. If this Ryker is even half the warrior you claim him to be, the hunt should awaken that side of him again."

"But that's not the only reason you are suggesting this, is it?" Orion prompted. Rarely did Erik have simply one purpose for saying something. He was another mystery to Orion, his divine parentage at any rate. His dark complexion and his straight black hair were a testament to no god that Orion could think of, and Erik's bright yellow eyes were at odds with the rest of him.

"No." Erik smiled, his eyes glinting with a wicked light. "It will give us a chance to test him as well. We all passed _your_ test, I think it is only fair that _he_ pass _ours_. Or is that too much to ask of your precious little pet?"

A chorus of agreement came from the others, all directed at Orion. The Giant mulled this over in his mind, his hand drifting over his massive mechanical bow absentmindedly as it so often did when he was deep in thought. Orion could think of no argument to their request, nor did he think that one was justified. Their request to test Ryker was fair and, to be honest, expected. To lead them, they would need to both fear and respect him. And the Ryker that now stood in the clearing of the tents of Artemis' Hunters was not one who was capable of inspiring either of those emotions in his subordinates.

"Very well." Orion said finally, taking a firm grip on his bow and hanging it over his shoulder. "You convinced me. You want to test him? Fine. Do it. Give him the best hunt that you possibly can. But I am going to lay down a few rules."

There was a burst of angry mutters at this, and more than a few glares. "There are no rules in this sort of thing!" One of them snapped. "Either he proves himself, or he dies."

"Which is fine by me." Orion shrugged carelessly. "If he truly has fallen that far, he is useless to us anyways. Kill him, in that case. But you will heed my rules. First, do not do anything that will cause the camps to fear or dislike you. No matter the feelings of anger you may have for them-" More than a few of his Hunters hated the camps, blamed them for not finding them and saving them from the hellish life they had lived, "They are necessary for the time being. Our prey is far more dangerous than them. After Tartarus is dealt with, we can deal with the camps however you may please. I'll leave that to you. But for now, leave them be as much as you can. We can't remain hidden from them forever and I would rather avoid a fight. The first time we meet, that is. Second, do not venture more than fifty miles from this spot in this hunt. Any more than that and I will not be able to respond should something… unfortunate happen."

"Unfortunate?" Dante barked out a laugh and shook his head. "That's a funny way to put us killing your little pet by accident."

"Oh, it is not him I am worried about." Orion's smile was far from friendly. "If he dies, he wasn't good enough. Anything that happened of an unfortunate nature would be what happened to you. Which brings me to my third point."

"Which is?" A fair haired, bored looking boy asked.

"Be very careful." Orion's unfriendly smile grew even more pronounced. "You may not want to believe it, but that demigod you make light of can be more of a monster than anything you have ever seen. A true beast. If you relax your guard for even a moment, or assume that he is weak… you will die. He will slaughter you without a second thought, and then turn to the next one of you. And I would really rather avoid that. You lot seem competent enough, I would hate having to track down a new batch of my Hunters."

"That Titan woman, Rhea, she made us immortal." One of them sneered. "We can't die."

Orion slowly turned his gaze on the demigod in question. This one, Leonard, was no mystery. His mother was clearly Nemesis, his dark hair and dark eyes both dead giveaways. "You will live so long as you keep the oath you made when you joined me." Orion corrected harshly. "Break that oath, and you lose your immortality. But take an arrow or a spear through the heart, and the next thing you know, you will be standing before the Judges. Besides, all of you saw just saw that goddess die. Not even true immortals are immune to death now. So, tell me, do you really want to test your immortality? Because if that is the case I will kill you right now. Your death will serve as an example for the others, and your statement will be proven false."

Chastened, Leonard took a step back and put a hand reflexively on the handle of the scythe protruding over his right shoulder. "No, I believe you." He said grudgingly, looking at Orion warily.

Orion sneered and turned away from him. "Now, I believe you said you wanted to organize a hunt?" He asked coldly, crossing his arms and staring at Dante and Erik. "I would suggest hurrying. The camps have _such_ an annoying tendency to attract trouble, and during a battle might not be the best time for you to stage your little show."

His Hunters quickly dispersed, slipping without a sound into the surrounding trees. Orion watched them go, a note of pride in his heart as they left. He had hunted alone for centuries, granted by his own volition, but now he had his own Hunt. One that could rival, and possibly surpass even Artemis's own. But that was not the purpose of them, nor could he use them to exact further revenge on Artemis. That had been the deal he had made with Rhea so that she would provide him with the ability to bless his Hunters with the same protections and longevity that Artemis extended to her own. Orion's age old grudge against the Goddess of the Hunt was dropped, all grievances forgiven. But that did not mean that he had to allow his Hunters to fall under the control of the Camps. He would make sure of that.


	73. Party

Due to his time spent in the wild Ryker had developed an innate ability to recognize various animal calls and their meanings. In fact his ability to recognize and understand these sounds was so developed that he could tell how old the animal was, its gender, and how far the beast was without straining his ears at all. But even if Ryker's hearing was not so extraordinary he still would have had no issue recognizing the voice that tentatively called out to him as he leaned against a tree, staring into the darkness of the woods.

"Ryker?" Silver asked, her voice comforting and familiar. "What are you doing?

"Thinking." He said quietly, his voice barely more than a whisper. He was not concerned with her not hearing him, he was fairly certain that her hearing was better than even his. "It's been a while. Where have you been?"

"Flying." She was closer now, standing only a few feet behind him. "After being… After being prisoner for so long I needed to fly and clear my head."

"Makes sense." Ryker straightened, wincing slightly as his wound tinged in his chest. Will had been pleased with its healing progress, but he still was adamant that Ryker could not do anything overly strenuous. Thus far Ryker had not had a reason to go against his doctor's wishes, but if he had to he would without hesitation. Will was undoubtedly aware of this and had taken measures to prevent this from coming to pass. Ryker did not go anywhere without someone going with him, moreover someone who was capable in a fight. "Since you are back does that mean that your head is clear?"

"As clear as it can be." He heard the shudder in her voice and he turned around to see her with a far off look in her eyes. "I don't think any of us can ever really forget what happened to us down there."

"You went through a lot." Ryker offered, giving an attempt at a consoling tone. Unfortunately it came off as the same voice he took when he was going to give an injured animal its death blow.

Evidently taking this tone as some sort of insult Silver straightened abruptly and met his gaze, a fierce look in her eyes. "So did you." She reminded him harshly. "Since you are talking to me does that mean you are done thinking?"

"For now." Ryker muttered, his gaze just as fierce as hers. "Did you come here to reminisce or did you have some goal in mind?"

"Well apparently those three can't be trusted to bring you to the party, so I came to bring you myself." Silver snapped back.

"Yeah, probably not the best idea for you to send Percy." Ryker said, a snarl creeping onto his face. "You know, on account of the fact that I killed his beloved Annabeth. Next time thinking it through might be a little helpful."

"Oh, you brought her back." Silver said dismissively, one hand resting dangerously on her hip. "He shouldn't have been so overdramatic. Everyone you killed you brought back."

"Except for Grover." Ryker pointed out.

"Satyrs reincarnate." Silver pointed at him with the hand that was not on her hip, the folds of her silver and forest green dress shifting under her hand. "Now. We can argue about that later. But right now there is a fantastic party back at the camp and I wore a dress. Do you have any idea what that means?"

"No, but I have a strange feeling the answer is coming shortly."

"That means that you are going to come to said party with me."

"As I said." Ryker sighed and rolled his eyes. "I never said I wouldn't-."

"Damn right you didn't." Silver said firmly, stalking forward and seizing his hand in her own before pulling him off in the direction of the camp. It took him a moment to reclaim his balance, but she did not slow even for that. "You are going to come to this party, dance, and have a great time."

"Dancing?" Ryker asked, horrified. He had seen the nymphs and dryads dance many times, and the prospect had never appealed to him. Too much twisting and turning and jumping. It was a terrible waste of energy and, from everything he had seen, served no other purpose other than to wear oneself out.

"Yes." There was a gleam in Silver's eye as she glanced over to him that gave even Ryker pause to argue with. "And you will like it."

He might have been given some pause, but argue Ryker did nonetheless. "I may dance but I will _not_ like it." He said resolutely, raising his chin defiantly. They had just reached the edge of the camp, the guards nodding to Silver and looking at Ryker with something resembling awe. "What is with all that light? And why are there so many colors?"

"Party." Silver reminded him. It seemed as though that explained everything and, after Ryker remained quiet, she turned to face him with an eyebrow raised. "You _have_ been to a party before, right?"

Ryker considered that question for a long moment before offering, "I went to one of those banquet-things at Camp Half-Blood. Does that count?"

"You mean… dinner?" Silver pinched the bridge of her nose with two fingers and closed her eyes. She took several deep breaths before opening her eyes and staring at Ryker with a mischievous light in her eyes. "Okay. This might actually be kind of fun."

"Oh, I think that much is a given." Leo called, evidently having overheard Silver's words. "This place is _popping_! Thanatos is dancing! Reyna is dancing! Zeus even let Dionysus drink and now, don't ask me how, but now him and Bacchus are in a wine drinking contest."

"I thought that Bacchus was the Roman aspect of-." Ryker's voice cut off as his foot was nearly impaled by the sharp heel of Silver's shoe. He bit off his sound of pain and painted a grim smile on his face.

"Like I said man, don't ask." Leo advised. He threw an arm around Ryker's shoulder and led him down the hill towards where dozens of partygoers were milling about. To Ryker's surprise he saw just as many gods and goddesses as demigods. "Now, let's see here. Where is she?"

"Where is who?" Ryker asked suspiciously, immediately thinking to Victoria and her vendetta against him. Or for him. Regardless.

But apparently Leo had spied his target as he grinned and waved at the mass of people. Ryker mentally steeled himself, as well as physically, for whatever or whoever would be coming for him but unfortunately he could not have prepared himself for what came for him. She was wearing a puffy black and pink dress and a sparkling tiara, both of which were in sharp contrast to the man in the dark suit with equally black wings spreading from his back. "Cloe?" Ryker managed just before the small demigod plowed into him with enough force to knock the infirm demigod off of his feet and onto his butt.

"Ryker!" She squealed, her arms squeezing him tight enough for his wound to throb painfully. Her face was buried in his vest and he was not certain whether she was laughing or sobbing. "I missed you! Where did you go? You said you would come back and you didn't! You promised!"

Completely at a loss, Ryker looked to Leo and Silver for some help but both of them seemed to have disappeared into the party. "Erm, I'm sorry?" He told her, patting her on the back awkwardly. "I really did mean to come back, but things… happened."

"Like when you died?" She asked, looking up at him with an intensity that a child of her age should not possess. "I _felt_ it when you died! I was so scared!"

"Well, that certainly answers that question." Thanatos said gravely, striding up to the two demigods and raising his chin. "I have been going over the problem of you in my mind for days and nights ever since you managed to escape the River. Sheer willpower alone would not allow you to escape the curse, nor would any outside assistance. Anyone who tried to assist you would simply be dragged in as well, god or goddess. Titan or Giant."

Cloe stood up and went to Thanatos's side, hugging his leg. Ryker struggled to get to his feet when a pale hand was suddenly presented in front of his face. He looked up and saw that the hand belonged to the god of death himself. Ryker, warily, accepted the hand and Thanatos assisted him in getting to his feet. "So what was the answer then?" Ryker asked, curious in spite of himself. The question of how he had escaped the river had bothered him as well. In their planning Orion had warned him that no amount of willpower or stubbornness would let him escape and that he would have to figure out some other way to escape, should he be sentenced to the Acheron. "How did I escape?"

"Why my daughter of course." Thanatos looked down at Cloe with a slight smile on his face. It was odd to see an expression of joy on the normally impassive god's face. "If I am not mistaken, you made her a promise some time ago?"

"Uh, yeah." Ryker frowned, recalling the 'pinky promise' as Cloe had referred to it. "She made me promise to come back."

"And there is your answer." Thanatos said simply. "While to a much lesser extent, my children do have my same power over the dead and thus the River Acheron. Your promise to her was enough to at least partially subdue the curse that keeps the souls in the River. It is no small thing to say that you are here right now because of your kindness to Cloe."

"And that does not bother you at all?" Ryker asked, his eyes narrowing slightly. "That your daughter was kind of the cause of all of these demigods coming back to life?"

Thanatos regarded Ryker thoughtfully for a few moments, his hand on Cloe's head absentmindedly stroking her hair. "I think that you may have the wrong idea about me." He said finally. With his free hand he made a circle gesture with one finger. "All of you in fact. It is true that I did petition Hades to allow me to return the souls you freed from Elysium back to their place. But I only did that as it is my _job_ to keep them there. I took no pleasure in doing so and, I must admit, I was quite glad when Hades denied my request. You see, Ryker, I may be the god of death but I am also a parent. Just like many of the other gods and goddesses here. I might not act like it all the time but I care very deeply for my daughter."

"So you aren't upset at all that I freed them." Ryker surmised. "You are happy that there are more people to protect your daughter."

"I try to avoid having children." Thanatos nodded, gazing down at his daughter. "Because having to watch them die, and to be the one to reap their souls, that is among the most painful things I have ever had to do. So my daughter, and my son wherever he is, are both very precious to me. I am grateful to you, son of Cybele, for saving her."

Without another word Thanatos swept away, leading Cloe by the hand and back onto the dancefloor just as a particularly upbeat song began to play. Now without a purpose Ryker turned around in a circle, his eyes searching desperately for someone he recognized. Unfortunately the first person he saw, in fact the only person he saw the he recognized, had just seen him as well. _Where do they go when I actually want them around?_ Ryker thought miserably as Victoria picked her way through the throng of people, a wicked smile on her face and what looked suspiciously like an iron collar in her hand.

 **Forgive me, my readers. I have been indisposed of late and my writing has suffered accordingly. That is to say, I have not had a chance to. I sincerely hope that I will be able to update with somewhat more frequency, but at this time I cannot be sure. Once a week at least. Worry not, Prophecy is far from over.**

Cheers, Hallowed


	74. The Next Prophecy

It _was_ an iron collar as it turned out. Victoria marched up to Ryker and held out the collar matter-of-factly. "Put it on." She ordered, a smirk on her face. "Now."

For once, Ryker decided that arguing was not in his best interest. He reached out and gingerly took the collar from her, thoroughly surprising her from the shock and suspicion that flashed across her face. "Fine." He shrugged, ignoring the pain that the gesture brought. He studied the collar for a few moments, turning it over in his hand. "So I just put it over the neck and it locks?" He asked.

"That's right." Victoria said, her eyes narrowed as she attempted to ascertain his motives. "You are actually _listening_ to me?"

"And I am guessing that you have the only key?" Ryker said, affecting a heavy sigh, and ignoring her question.

She reached into the neckline of her dress and drew out a silver chain, at the end of which gleamed an iron key to match the collar in his hand. "Of course." She said, a bit smugly. "The one and the only. No other key will work for that collar."

"Good to know." Ryker said, opening the collar.

Victoria's eyes were wide as she watched him slowly bring the collar to his neck. Just before the metal touched the flesh at his throat Ryker suddenly grinned wickedly and whirled on the spot. Before Victoria could respond he had clamped the metal collar around the closest person to him, which turned out to be another Amazon. The girl's hands flew to the metal collar as she turned around, genuine confusion on her face. "Why you…" Victoria's voice had equal parts amusement and annoyance in it as Ryker turned around with a grin on his face.

"You never said _who_ to put it on." Ryker said, smirking. He patted Victoria on the shoulder as he walked past her, confident that he had finally won a confrontation against the Amazon. He should have known better than to actually touch the warrior girl and not expect some sort of physical retaliation.

Sure enough she had grabbed his arm and wrenched it behind his back before he knew what was happening. _My reflexes are shot too._ Ryker fumed, wincing as Victoria pulled his arm up a little further. He felt her breath on his neck just as she whispered, "Now that wasn't very nice of you." She said, her words quiet and clearly only for him. "But it's fine. Eventually you _will_ wear my collar."

"Not a chance." Ryker growled back, turning his head in an attempt to look at her. He abandoned his efforts when she strained his arm a bit further.

Victoria laughed briefly before pressing her lips to his neck and releasing him. He quickly stepped away, his hand going to his neck and checking for blood or some sort of mark. Victoria's eyes flashed mischievously once more as she melted back into the party, leaving Ryker be once more. Or so it appeared. The music once again began to pulse and Ryker was swept into the crowd as demigods, gods, and goddesses surged back onto the dance floor. He was annoyed at the pressing of limbs, but as the music intensified he quickly lost himself in the grips of the song and soon was mimicking the others as they danced. He was not certain how long the song lasted, in truth he was not even certain why he was enjoying the music so much. It was loud, repetitive, and did not seem to have any real sort of meaning behind the random bursts of various sounds that melted together to create the song.

When the music finally ended the weary dancers made their way off of the dancefloor, eager to escape in case Apollo had another enchanted song in the works. "That was fun." Annabeth said brightly, her face sheened with sweat. She wore a plain gray dress that shimmered as she walked, hugging her body just enough for her curves to be accented. Percy was at her side, her eyes fixated on her and seemingly oblivious to anyone else around them.

"Yeah." He muttered, taking her hand in his own and gazing into her eyes. "Fun."

Leo and Calypso exchanged a look and rolled their eyes simultaneously, both of them struggling not to laugh. Frank and Hazel exchanged knowing grins, which they both failed to hide from the others. "Those two sure do have things figured out, don't they?" Piper murmured to Jason, their eyes locked just as much as Percy and Annabeth's. "Lucky them."

"Lucky us, too." Jason added, his eyes sparkling with all the electricity of a storm.

Uncertain of how their group had gotten brought together again, Ryker looked from couple to couple and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. He had seen many of the demigods, and some of the gods, do things like this before but he had yet to truly understand the reasoning behind it. He knew that it had something to do with affection, but he did not see why they were so fixated on one another.

He had just opened his mouth to voice this thought when a massive cracking sound rang out through the camp, startling everyone present. Every set of eyes within a five hundred meter radius of the dancefloor immediately going to the stage where the noise had emanated from. "The Oracle is issuing a prophecy!" Apollo roared, all traces of his former joy at playing music now evidently forgotten. At his side was Silena, her eyes clouded over and clearly elsewhere. The camp was dead silent, no one making so much as a shred of noise as they waited with bated breath for the Oracle to issue the prophecy. Ryker's eyes darted from either side as he studied the couples. All eight of them were watching Silena with the exact same expression, wary despair. To Ryker, it almost seemed as though the eight of them knew that their part in the upcoming trek was nowhere near over.

Though it was only a few seconds, the wait for Silena to begin speaking seemed to stretch on for hours. When she finally did begin to speak, a collective sharp intake of breath could be heard around the camp.

" _That which must be destroyed has taken flight,_

 _Five chains must be broken to win the fight,_

 _To the five corners must the chosen go,_

 _Ten heroes that all well-know._

 _Two to the North,_

 _Three to the South,_

 _Two to the East,_

 _One to the Depths,_

 _And two to the West._

 _The light and the dark,_

 _To the North they shall embark._

 _The Flame, the Storm, and the Sea,_

 _To the South will they be._

 _The daughters of love and wisdom,_

 _To the East they will come._

 _The newly risen mountain,_

 _Into the Abyss once again._

 _The War and the Jewel to the West,_

 _These shall be the final tests._

 _Of these ten that set forth,_

 _One shall cease to be henceforth."_

The camp experienced a moment of stunned silence as Silena fell silent and began to fall back. Apollo quickly caught her, evidently expecting this sudden fatigue. Apollo quickly collected her into his arms and exited the stage, presumably to take the Oracle to a place where she could rest. Ryker barely noticed. He, and the others who were standing on either side of him, were immersed in a moment of self-pity and disbelief. The prophecy rang in his mind over and over again, in particular two words. "'Into The abyss once again'." He said in a low voice, barking out a rough laugh and shaking his head.

His laugh seemed to rouse the other demigods around them and the assembled partygoers turned as one on the group, their eyes mixing relief with pity. Ryker could not blame them. He had only been with the camp for a few weeks and already he understood that prophecies carried with them enormous weight. And a very likely death sentence as well. "The Oracle has spoken." The voice of Dionysus rang out over the camp, startling the gods and demigods who had been standing beside him. "A quest, actually, _five_ quests are in order. I don't think the participants of these quests really have any doubt as to whom they pertain to."

"We need time to discuss this." Artemis said quickly, stepping forward and shooting a glare at Dionysus. "To figure out what manner of aid we can provide them, to discuss what we can do. The prophecy did not even say what it was that they were supposed to seek out."

"It sounds as though it is some sort of chain." Vulcan said gruffly, a large blacksmith's hammer held over his shoulder. Ryker raised an eyebrow as he was certain that the god had been in a suit similar to his own just moments before. "Which means that it's big enough so that it won't be very hard to miss."

" _Maybe!_ " Athena snapped irritably, casting a worried look to her daughter. But breaking the chains could mean any manner of things, especially in a prophecy. It could be a reference to some obscure item, or any number of other similes. We need to figure this out before we send them off!"

"I think that your judgement may be clouded here, Athena." A sallow faced god said slyly, smirking and leaning against a stone pillar. "Your daughter is undoubtedly one of those selected for this prophecy. Unless you wish to discuss that as well? A well-known daughter of wisdom. My, who _ever_ could that possibly be? Now, I think my kids are pretty smart but I don't go around claiming that they are the daughters of wisdom itself."

"Orcus." Athena gritted her teeth as she bit back an inevitable insult. "No, I have no issues about who has been issued this quest. But I _would_ like to give them their best possible chance of success."

"You mean give your daughter the best chance of success." Orcus laughed lightheartedly. "One shall cease to be henceforth. Oh, I do so love looming prophecies of death. So interesting to see who it is that is going to bite the big one, so to speak. Bets anyone?"

"Enough, Orcus!" A large bearded man roared, snapping his fingers. The cocky god disappeared in a flash of lighting, much to the relief of the rest of the camp. Jupiter muttered something under his breath and turned to the demigods. "As Dionysus said, you have been issued a quest. We will offer every possible bit of aid that we can, but you will carry out the prophecy as you have been directed. Each of you." He added the last as he turned to glare at Ryker accusingly.

Ryker returned the gaze coolly, shrugging one shoulder. He patted his chest lightly with one hand and smirked easily, ignoring the fact that even the light motion pained him. "When do we leave?" Percy asked finally, the first of the others to pull himself from his self-pity. He raised his chin and met Jupiter's eyes with calm determination. The others seemed to draw strength from Percy's resolve and each of them mirrored his confidence.

"You will leave as soon as you deem yourselves ready." Jupiter informed them.

"Hey, we got this." Leo said confidently, throwing an arm around Percy and Jason. "The three of us? Pssht, we got this."

"You're right man." Jason said, his confidence just as radiant as Leo's. "Who can throw down with the three of us?"

"Don't count us out either." Annabeth warned them good-naturedly, punching Piper playfully on the shoulder. "Your charm speak and my tactics? Whatever Tartarus throws at us has no chance."

"For sure." Piper said with equal gusto.

Frank and Hazel were gazing lovingly into one another's eyes as they exchanged happy grins. "There is no one I would rather quest with." Hazel told him.

"The feeling is very mutual."

Ryker watched them mentally steel themselves and smiled himself, ignoring the tension he felt building in his chest. He doubted that they would force him to return to Tartarus via the River Acheron, but one could never be too sure… "Well that figures." A disgusted Victoria said, shoving her way through the demigods who stood gawking at the soon-to-be questers. "I just get you back and you go off on another crazy quest that you will probably almost die on."

"Yes, because I totally planned for this." Ryker shot back, relieved for something to focus on rather than his somewhat worrying thoughts. "Because avoiding you is worth a trip to Tartarus. Are you out of your mind?"

"Don't you act like you won't enjoy that!"

"It's not an act!" Ryker shot back, annoyed now. He heard Leo guffawing quietly and shot him a glare, momentarily turning away from Victoria to do so. When he returned the glare to Victoria his nose touched hers, her proximity alarming him. He immediately made to take a step back but her hands shot out and locked on either side of his face, immobilizing him. "Let me go." He commanded, ignoring the warmth in her hands.

She fixed him with a stern look, her blue eyes locked on his. "Listen. To. Me." She said slowly, clearly enunciating every syllable. "If you do not return from Tartarus, I will personally go down there and bring you back myself."

"Was that a threat or-." Ryker began to ask. Victoria silenced him by placing her mouth on his. He had seen the others do this several times, and he had even studied two campers who had been kissing, but it was very different to actually experience it. When her lips pulled away from his she regarded him thoughtfully and shrugged.

"Not bad." She said finally, releasing his head. "But we will work on it."

"What?!" Ryker croaked, his face crimson. But Victoria walked back through the crowd of people without answering his question, high fiving one of her fellow Amazons as she went.

The rest of the camp evidently took Victoria's exit as their own cue to leave as well, quickly dispersing back to their various tents and cabins. Ryker and the others stood there, awaiting one of the gods to tell them what to do. Ryker was rooted to the spot as he struggled to contemplate what the hell had just happened. With an angry shout he turned on his heel and stalked back in the direction of the Hunters' tents. He had had enough of people for that evening. As he walked he saw two people emerge from the darkness, hidden away by the woods. He turned to the emerging figures, almost hoping that it was an enemy of some sort so that he could blow off some steam. Unfortunately it was Will and Nico.

"Hey, Ryker!" Will said, jogging up to him. "What happened?! We heard a huge bang and we tried to get back-."

"You are on a quest, congratulations." Ryker snapped, glaring at them.

"We're on a-? What? When?" Nico asked, confused. "When did this happen, who issued…?"

"Ask the others, I'm going to sleep." Ryker growled.

"Wait, why do you have lipstick on your mouth?" Will asked, still confused.

Ryker glared at them, quickly running his eyes up and down both of them. "Why is there dirt in your hair and leaves on your clothes?" He shot back irritably, causing both of them to redden. He rolled his eyes at their reaction. It was a fair question. Sometimes leaves get on clothes. And he assumed it was the same thing with lipstick. Though probably not as often.


	75. Perspective

Ryker was up far before the sun, quietly exiting the Hunter's Tent and slipping away into the trees. He didn't delve very deep into the forest, the silver of the Hunters' tent was still visible through the branches, but he was just far enough so that no one would bother him. He climbed a tree, barely noticing when his chest gave a twinge of pain in protest of the strain, and took a seat on the first branch he wrapped his hand around. It was there that Ryker sat as the morning slowly grew older, saying nothing and thinking the same. He gazed out to where sunlight slowly began to spread through the trees and breathed in the crisp morning air, savoring the scents that the forest brought to him. He slowly, regretfully, exhaled the breath and began to breathe normally though he continued to watch the sunrise in silence. It was not too long before the birds and other creatures of the forest had accustomed themselves to him and were flitting all around him, paying him no mind. A small squirrel even went so far as to climb over Ryker as it went about its way presumably to find something in the way of food.

When the sun was a few feet above the line of the horizon Ryker began to hear the sounds of Camp Jupiter as the demigods, legacies, and other inhabitants began to go about their various morning rituals. A small bluebird flitted across Ryker's face and came to rest on his leg, hopping several times and looking at the demigod with an odd mixture of confusion and interest. Ryker whistled softly to the bird and extended two fingers, inviting it to take a new perch. The bird happily obliged, flapping once and then resting on his fingers. He smiled slightly at the small thing and stroked the back of its neck gently with his other hand. The bird chirped happily and flitted off into the trees, clearly satisfied with Ryker's treatment of it. "And goodbye to you as well, winged one." Ryker murmured, the farewell finally breaking his silence.

"So this is where you wandered off to." Artemis said, seemingly emerging from a beam of sunlight and balancing easily on the branch where Ryker rested.

Shrugging, Ryker barely even glanced an acknowledgement towards the goddess, staring off at the sunrise once more. Perhaps before his trip to Tartarus he would have grown annoyed at the interruption of his brief moment of solitude, but now he found that he was simply glad of Artemis's company. Did not mean, however, that he had to vocalize as such. He still had to at least attempt to keep up his unapproachable manner. If not he knew it was only a brief amount of time before they would attempt to rope him into something he truly dreaded, like those accursed campfire songs.

"I understand that you may feel some feelings of dread or apprehension," Artemis began warily, hesitantly. Ryker did not have to look, he sensed his eyes upon her. With a sense of resignation he turned to her and met her gaze. "Facing a task such as one that you currently do would give even the greatest heroes some sense of fear."

"'Of these ten that set forth, One shall cease to be henceforth'." Ryker quoted, turning his gaze back to the sunrise. "You know as well as I that the one who will die on this quest will most likely be me."

"You can't possibly-." Artemis began.

Ryker silenced the protest with a single glare. "The others are going in pairs, at least, and they are going to be watching each other's backs like hawks. Do you really think otherwise, or are you just trying to reassure me? Because it's not worth it. As long as I break the chain I am being sent after, I am okay with dying."

"Do not say such things!" Artemis said hotly, her voice furious. "You know nothing!"

"Oh, don't act like it wouldn't be the best course of events." Ryker barked out a laugh. "The other nine are well-known and loved throughout both camps. I am a reformed traitor who managed to somehow save them by leading an army of resurrected demigods back to the surface. They might be thankful to me, but they will never truly forgive me for betraying them in the first place. If I don't come back from this quest at the very least my memory will be a positive one."

Ryker had never been slapped by a goddess before, he had a strange feeling this would happen again, and he found that it hurt just as much as he thought it might. Artemis's hand wrenched his head around and nearly sent him tumbling down from the branch, but she caught his arm before he could fall. She yanked him to his feet and grabbed him by the front of his silver shirt, slamming his back against the tree's trunk. So surprised was he that Ryker did not even bother fighting back, nor could he find the willpower to even want to try. "Ouch." He said, reaching up and gingerly touching where her hand had connected with his face. "What gives, everyone is thinking it! You saw their faces when they heard the last line. Every one of them looked at me, because _it makes sense_!"

"Are you really still that delusional?!" Artemis snarled, her face mere inches from his own. "That wasn't relief, you stupid fool, that was worry. Concern. They worried about you, as did everyone, because you are being sent alone to one of the only places in the world that you can be given very little help from the gods."

Ryker considered this, thinking back to the expressions that they had assumed. He had no trouble recalling them, and found that Artemis may have been correct. "Regardless, it still would be best if I was the one to fall." He said stubbornly, grabbing her wrist and attempting to force her to release her grip on his shirt. It did not work. "The camps love them, and losing a single one of them would be devastating. Emotionally and tactically."

"And you think your death would be any less painful?" Artemis demanded. "Any less sorrowful?"

"Maybe. Maybe not." Ryker shrugged. "There is really no telling, is there?"

"Go see your sisters of the Hunt." Artemis said tiredly, "They are about to get something to eat and they are wondering where you are."

Ryker hopped down from his branch resting place and landed easily on the ground. His chest protested again, but it was far from a debilitating pain. "See you around, Artemis." Ryker said with a wave over his shoulder as he made his way back to the camp.

True to Artemis's word, the Hunters were strolling around their camp clearly hungry from the looks in their eyes. "You!" One of them said accusingly when Ryker strode into their campsite. She pointed at him and glared while saying, "Where have you been?! We are starving!"

"No one kept you from getting something to eat!" Ryker shot back. "Least of all me!"

"We eat together, Ryker." Another one said, only slightly less accusingly. "Duh."

"Whose fault is that?" He asked, spreading his arms. "I certainly didn't make that a rule."

"No, but you still have to follow it!" The first Hunter said forcefully. "Look, I would love to argue but I am seriously starving. HEY EVERYONE, RYKER IS BACK LET'S EAT!"

"About time too!" Thalia said grumpily, emerging from her tent with a bleary-eyed scowl. She blinked several times in the morning sunlight and then glared even more forcefully at Ryker. "Next time you want to go sulk in the woods tell someone where you are going so we can drag you back. Don't you know not to get between a Hunter and food?"

"Apparently not." Ryker frowned as more and more Hunters emerged from the tents to glare at him. "You are acting like I have been starving you-."

"You have!" One of the Hunters, Ryker thought it might have been Jude actually, shouted. The others gave various sounds of agreement from growls to shouts. "Now come on, let's go before we eat _you_!"

The Hunters marched over to the mess hall with Ryker sandwiched firmly between them, unable to do so much as move to the outside of the group. They swept into the mess hall and scared off a demigod who was eating by himself at a table, quickly claiming his table. Thankfully Ryker was called before he was forced to sit with the apparently ravenous Hunters. "Hey, Ryker!" Leo shouted from across the room. He waved the son of Cybele over to where the others sat.

Grateful for the excuse to depart, he quickly moved across the floor and took the proffered seat between Calypso and Frank. A plate of eggs, quail by the look of them, appeared from seemingly thin air in front of Ryker and he gratefully began to crack and drink them. The others made various faces of disgust and shook their heads. "Are you okay?" Piper asked Ryker worriedly. "When you walked in here you looked… kind of uncomfortable."

"Oh, I'm fine." Ryker answered, "But I think it might actually be safer in Tartarus than it is between hungry Hunters and food. They threatened to eat me."

"Yeah, Frank gets the same way." Hazel nodded. Frank shrugged indifferently.

"So does Annabeth." Percy said. He opened his mouth to say more but his face turned an inexplicable white and he clamped his jaw shut. Beside him, Annabeth assumed an angelic expression. "Nevermind." He said weakly, his eyes watering.

"So, have you guys decided when you are going to leave?" Ryker asked in a low voice.

"Percy, Jason, and I are going to leave in three days." Leo said quietly. "We want to make sure we have everything we might need. Especially since we have no idea where we are going."

"I'm sure that we will get some sort of clues along the way." Frank sighed.

"That's usually how it goes." Hazel agreed. "Some sort of clue or monster or… something."

"And then there is the matter of this chain too." Jason reminded them. "The one we have to break apparently."

"You know there is going to be some sort of protection around them too." Annabeth nodded. "Tartarus isn't stupid. I just wish we knew what it was he had chained up."

"And then of course there is always the chance that they need to be broken in some specific order." Leo added darkly. The others seemed shocked and he shrugged. "I'm just saying it is a possibility. You have to take things apart in certain ways, maybe this is one of those things."

"What are the chances that Iris messages will work for this quest?" Jason wondered hopefully.

"Next to none." Percy answered with a sympathetic wince.

"Besides, I doubt they would work from Tartarus anyways." Ryker shrugged. "From what I understand there are certain restrictions that are in place there. I might be able to ask Erebus for a favor, but that's a fifty-fifty shot at best."

"Let's just hope that the chains _don't_ need to be broken in a specific order." Hazel said. "If they do, we just have to figure something out."

"What about the rest of you?" Ryker asked. "When are you leaving?"

"The rest of us haven't decided." Annabeth answered. "What about you?"

"As soon as I can fix my chest and find Hecate." Ryker answered, a touch of his old recklessness entering his eyes. "The sooner I find that other Ryker…. The sooner I can make him suffer for what he took from me. For what he did… there aren't any words for what I am going to do to him."


	76. Path

Ryker was not entirely sure as to whether finding Hecate as easily as he did was a good thing or bad thing. He had already gone searching for someone to heal his chest. To his relief Apollo had quickly offered his services and now his injuries were much more manageable. The sun had just set over the trees casting the last pale orange rays of light over Camp Jupiter.

"I had wondered when you would seek me out, son of Cybele." Hecate said as he approached, not looking up from the lantern she held before her. Her eyes were transfixed onto the flame, seemingly examining something that Ryker did not bother and did not care to see. "I am glad to see that it is sooner rather than later. Avoiding crossroads can only last for so long. In the end all paths you take lead to at least one."

"Good to know." Ryker answered, readjusting the straps on his backpack. The bag had mysteriously appeared in his bed at the Hunters' tent though it was not the traditional silver material that the Hunters' used. He had not yet checked the contents of the bag. He felt certain enough, judging by its weight and feel, that it provided everything that he might need for his quest. "So you know why I am here?"

"Naturally." Hecate said smoothly, dissolving the lantern into a burst of flames and crossing her arms as she looked over Ryker. "As I said, you are at a crossroads."

"Meaning I have a choice as to what I do?" Ryker barked out a laugh and shook his head. "Yeah, sure. You and I both know there really isn't a choice."

"There is always a choice." Hecate shrugged one slender shoulder. "You simply are too set on your current course to even consider the other. But that too is a choice in of itself. So, allow me to bring to light the reason for this visit since you have not yet done so. You wish for me to take you to Tartarus, is that correct?"

"I saw you there." Ryker said bluntly, "I know you can go there."

"There are other ways to get to Tartarus." Hecate reminded him. "Other ways, some even perhaps even easier."

"Easier, but not faster." Ryker said, glancing over his shoulder as a gaggle of demigods passed by presumably for the evening meal. "And I want to leave before anyone knows I am gone."

Hecate pondered this, one finger stroking the side of her face as she stared the demigod before her down. "One might argue that speed on this venture will only hasten your demise." She paused and shrugged, "Though I suppose that is the definition of speed in of itself. My point is, do you truly wish to leave so soon? If I take you to Tartarus I will not be able to get you out. Nor will I be able to control where exactly your landing will place you. Tartarus is vast, and your quest is for a specific item. There is every chance you could be deposited in some dark, desolate corner of that place that even the gods would fear to tread. There are creatures in Tartarus that prefer it there, that prey upon their monstrous brother even as they prey upon humans. Creatures that make Python look like a mere basilisk."

Ryker did not hesitate even in the face of this information. "Do it." He said again, raising his chin defiantly. "I'll figure something out one way or the other."

"That line of thinking has led to the deaths of more than one hero." Hecate chuckled, shaking her head. She tilted her head slightly and a mischievous smile played at her lips. "Are you certain that you wish to leave? No desire to say goodbye to any of your friends? What about that little blonde Amazon with the romantic interest in you? I imagine she will be very discontented if you leave without wishing her goodbye. It may very well be your last chance to do so. Or your owl-girl friend whom you rescued? You have had so little time to reconnect since you rescued her. I can't imagine that sits well with you."

"Let's go." Ryker said through gritted teeth. "I don't have to say goodbye to anyone. No point."

Hecate chuckled softly again and waved her hand before her. Ryker half expected to vanish immediately, but he remained in the camp. Shimmering in the air before them was a magical impression of a road, four different paths leading into nothing as a dark figure stood in the center of them. "May I share with you a secret, Ryker?" Hecate asked as she began to walk a slow circle around him and the magical image. "Tell me, what do you see?"

"Someone in the middle of a place where four roads meet." Ryker said warily, glancing only momentarily to Hecate as he answered. Her circling of him was disconcerting, like a predator that was slowly closing in on its prey.

"A crossroads?" Hecate asked innocently.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Tell me, how many paths do you think this character can take?" Hecate asked, her voice almost a purr in Ryker's ear as she passed by him once more.

"I just told you, four." Ryker said uncertainly, growing more cautious by the second.

"No, you told me there was four roads surrounding him." Hecate corrected, her voice light and playful though it kept that purring note. "That is not how many paths he can take."

"I'm not sure what you are asking." He admitted, suppressing a shiver as he felt chills run down his spine. "I don't have time for this, what are you after?"

"Look at the figure in the magic." Hecate said softly. Ryker followed her advice, looking at the image. The dark specter walked alone one road and disappeared. It then reappeared in the center and took yet another. It reappeared and took all four roads, each time reappearing in the center of the image. When the image returned after taking the course of the last road Ryker thought that the apparition would vanish, but to his surprise it did not. The image departed from the center again, this time walking off the four paths and disappearing in between two of the routes. He frowned as the figure did this four times as well. Each time that he was certain that the figure had exhausted all possible routes it found yet another. "Do you now see?" Hecate asked.

"It didn't just choose the roads?" Ryker asked, unsure of what Hecate was attempting to impart to him.

"Mortals often visualize crossroads as set paths." Hecate said, coming to stand back before Ryker and staring down at the small dark figure. She waved her fingers and the magical figure threw back its hood and shocked Ryker when he saw that it was, in fact, him. The two locked eyes for just a moment before the magic fizzled away. "But that is far from the truth. You see, crossroads are far from simple. Oftentimes when one faces such a choice they only see the most obvious choices. They disregard all other possibilities thinking them impossible, or simply not thinking of them entirely. Both lines of thinking are entirely incorrect."

"But sometimes a choice _is_ impossible." Ryker argued.

"A normal mortal, one ignorant to the gods and our world, might argue that rising from the dead is impossible as well." Hecate pointed out. "What is impossible and possible, both are frames of mind constructed by those people who refuse to understand such things. When not bound by such thinking, the possibilities that a crossroads are… infinite. Or very close to it."

"Why are you telling me this?" Ryker asked. "Why bother?"

"Because it is important for you to understand." Hecate said mysteriously.

"Understand what?!" Ryker asked, growing tired and impatient of the goddess's games.

"Understand that everything you do is a crossroads." Hecate said, suddenly intense. Her eyes burned with a fire very similar to that which was in her lantern. "Every choice you make, no matter how insignificant, is a crossroads. 'Walk this way' 'Eat this' 'Slay this monster'. Every single thing that you do is a crossroads with various outcomes. Demigods see crossroads as massive decisions before them. The truth of the matter is that the smaller decisions, the ones that you make every day without an errant thought, those are the decisions that lead to the bigger ones."

Hecate stepped back and let her words sink through, a satisfied smile on her face. Ryker frowned as he considered what he had been told. "So am I correct in thinking that you would prefer me to find another way to get to Tartarus?"

The goddess shrugged noncommittally. "What you do, that is up to you and only you." She said.

"I'll take that as a yes." Ryker said with shake of his head. "You wouldn't deny taking me, but at the same time you don't see it as the best path I could take."

"Did I ever say that?" Hecate asked innocently. "Interfering in the decisions of a questing demigod is quite the offense. Zeus would never forgive me if I did such a thing."

"Of course not." Ryker said dryly. "Because that would be wrong."

"Naturally."

"Then I guess I should get looking for a different way." Ryker sighed.

"Might I offer you a suggestion?" Hecate asked casually, examining her perfectly cared for nails. "That is a very lovely bag you have on your back. I can only think of one more who used a similar one. Perhaps you should look inside it."

"What will I find?" Ryker asked, already knowing the sort of answer he would get.

Unsurprisingly, Hecate smiled her knowing smile. "Another path."


	77. Advice

"So Ryker's gone?" Victoria asked with a sense of finality in her voice, crossing her arms over her chest and scowling. "Typical."

"Uh, yeah." Percy said uncomfortably. The Amazon had tracked him down, he had been in the middle of packing his bag for the quest, and forced him to answer her questions. "Sorry I couldn't be more help. He left early this morning, or maybe really late last night. Hecate gave him some advice and he left."

If Victoria heard him she did not acknowledge him, staring off into the distance as though the tree line was to blame for her missing interest. "The first thing I am going to do is teach him how to give his girlfriend a proper goodbye." She said suddenly, seemingly having come to a decision. "Then maybe manners."

"Wait, what?" Percy asked, confused despite himself. He finished packing his bag and tossed it onto his bed, rising to his feet. "Did you call yourself his girlfriend? Does he know this?"

"Does it matter?" Victoria asked shortly, sweeping out of the tent without another word.

Leo, brushing past Victoria, entered the tent moments later and jerked his thumb towards the direction the Amazon had gone. "What was that about?"

"Dude, I don't even know." Percy said, shrugging his shoulders. "Well? Is it ready?"

"Psssht. 'Is it ready?' he asks." Leo said mockingly, puffing his chest out with pride. "Did the Leo-mister say that I would get this puppy done in a day? Did I promise to make it the sweetest ride ever? Am I the greatest thing since melted cheese?"

"Yes. Yes. No." Percy said, counting off the questions on his hand and then grinning at his friend. "So we can leave soon then?"

"Yeah, just as soon as we finish getting prepped." Leo confirmed. Percy then saw a change in the son of Hephaestus. Leo's face fell and lines of worry that he had been hiding from, well, everyone appeared. His eyes grew tired and his normal traces of fun and his joking mannerisms disappeared. "Another one, eh?" He asked, taking a seat on Percy's bed.

"Seems like." Percy knew Leo's tiredness well, but he assumed that it was probably far more than his own. He had not risen from the dead like Leo had after all. "Maybe this will be the last one."

"Last quest, maybe." Leo said darkly. "But there is always something going on. No matter what we do it just feels like we can't ever catch a break. You know, _hermano?_ "

"I know how you feel." Percy agreed tiredly, sitting down beside Leo and burying his face in his hands for a few moments. Though they had all been hiding it from the camp the participants in the quest were exhausted in every way possible. It had truly been one thing after the other. Percy had been looking forward to a monster-free college in New Rome with Annabeth, maybe taking a job working part time at a coffee shop or weapon store. Something to keep him busy. But not… Now such a future seemed nigh impossible. Like everyone else inevitably had, Percy had been replaying the words of the prophecy over and over in his mind. "The Flame, the Storm, and the Sea, to the South they will be." Percy repeated, the words themselves sounding worn in the air.

"One shall cease to be henceforth." Leo added, staring at the floor. Small flames danced around his hands, flickering to life quickly and dying away just as fast. "I don't suppose there is any chance that the Oracle could have gotten that wrong?"

"You know how prophecies are." Percy said simply.

Leo glared at him. "Not helpful, man."

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that." Percy said quickly, apologetically. "I meant… like, prophecies are never clear. We might think it means one thing, when it really means another."

"Hey, yeah, maybe we _don't_ have to go on a quest at all." Leo said with false brightness. "Maybe we got it all wrong and Tartarus is going to go off and do something else, bother someone else. If that's the case I am all in, I can stay in and watch movies with Calypso all day."

"I don't think even _we_ can get a prophecy that wrong." Percy said, smiling even though Leo's joke wasn't particularly any good. "So, any idea where we might start looking? All we got it 'south'. How far south do you think? Like, Brazil? I'd be okay with that. Nice weather, good food."

"More like, South Pole." Leo said glumly, preemptively shivering as he thought about the subzero temperatures they would possibly be subjected to. "With snow. Bleh."

"Don't even start with me, fire boy." Percy rolled his eyes. "If you get too cold you can just light yourself on fire. Hey, we can roast marshmallows on you! Why have we never thought about that before?"

"I still get cold." Leo snapped. "It's not like I can be the Human Torch indefinitely. I still have to eat and junk."

"And it might not be a good thing, having you on fire in the South Pole." Percy said with a falsely grim attitude. "Global warming?"

Leo narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Did you just blame me for global warming?"

"You _are_ full of hot air." Percy said fairly.

"You _are_ lucky that you are my friend, otherwise I would turn _you_ into a charcoal briquette." Leo said, but he chuckled nonetheless. "I don't know, being blamed for global warming was not the idea I had for this quest. But, hey, I'll take it. I guess. Not sure that is actually something I want to be blamed for, I changed my mind."

"What are we blaming you for?" Jason asked, stepping inside the tent and cocking his head to one side.

"Global warming." Percy supplied.

Jason nodded sagely, pushing his hands into his pockets and leaning on one of the tent's pillars. "Because he is so full of hot air?" He guessed.

Percy had to stifle a laugh, which came out as a snort instead and Leo shot them both a dagger-filled look. "Sure, make fun of the mechanic." He threatened venomously, "I installed injector seats in the car just for that."

"Wait, how did you have time for that?" Percy asked curiously. "I thought you said you would barely be able to finish as it is."

"Oh, please." Leo rolled his eyes. "Ejector seats was the first thing I thought of, they were always in the calculations. Besides, with the Hephaestus and Vulcan cabins working together we made this ride look awesome. I got to boss them around, it was pretty sweet."

"So, it is ready then?" Jason asked.

"Ready and waiting." Leo confirmed. Percy glanced over to him and saw some of the old Leo humor and spunk returning, his momentary weakness left behind and forgotten. "We can leave when you two are good. My stuff is already packed and stowed."

"My stuff is in the Temple of Jupiter." Jason said, pushing off the supporting post and popping his knuckles. "Any time in particular that you two want to leave?"

"Today." Percy said firmly, not wanting to get caught up in procrastination. "We have to leave today. The sooner we can finish this the sooner we can get on with our lives."

"Agreed." Leo nodded.

Jason echoed the sentiment and then added quietly, "I'm… going to go say goodbye." He said, waving a goodbye and departing the tent.

There was a moment of silence in the wake of his parting words and Leo slowly stood up. "I am too." He said, his voice as soft as Jason's. "This whole quest thing… well, Calypso is taking it hard. She wants to go too, doesn't want to stay here. Says she feels useless."

"I totally understand man." Percy clapped his friend on the shoulder as they both left the tent. "I'm going to go say goodbye to Annabeth too."

They bade each other farewell and went their separate ways, each of them looking for the ones who were so important to them. Percy made his way to the Athena tent, knocking on one of the tent's entry poles for attention. One of Annabeth's sisters, her gray eyes a match to Annabeth's, poked her head out and smiled automatically at Percy. Despite the rivalry between Athena and Poseidon, the relations between Percy and the Athena cabin had only gotten better the more serious his relationship with Annabeth became. "Come in, Jackson." The girl, Percy could not remember her name for the life of him, said chidingly. "Come on now, you don't need to knock."

"Just trying to be polite." Percy said, shrugging with a returning smile. "Annabeth here?"

"Sorry, you just missed her." The girl apologized. "She went out to find Piper for something. Probably about the quest."

"Probably." Percy agreed, ducking out of the tent after waving farewell. He stood up and took a deep breath, wondering about where to go next in his search of Annabeth.

"Looking for your woman?" A man in a Hawaiian shirt sporting a large brown beard asked, sitting down by a water fountain that had seemed to sprout from nowhere directly in front of the Athena cabin. The man, of course, was none other than Percy's father, Poseidon. The god of the sea rose from where he sat and beckoning to his son with one arm. "Come, walk with me Percy. I would like a word, is that alright?"

"Uh, sure." Percy said, jogging to catch up to his father and looking at him in surprise when Poseidon placed an arm around his shoulders. "What's up Dad?"

"I simply wanted to wish you luck." Poseidon shrugged. "I am told that human fathers often do these things when their children go off on their own adventures, so I thought that I would give it a try."

"Oh, well, bye then?" Percy was never too sure about his father's motives, or his odd attempts at fatherhood. They were nonetheless appreciated, but they were usually hard to understand. Having a god for a father was never easy, or simple. "Is that all?"

"Not quite, I wanted to give you some advice as well. And a gift." Poseidon turned to his son and Percy felt a whooshing sensation around his head. He blinked and when he opened his eyes he found that he and his father were standing in the middle of a vast lake, the edges barely visible in the distance. Poseidon saw the confusion written on his son's face and smiled warmly. "Sorry, I just wanted a moment of privacy. Father to son, you understand."

"Yeah, of course." Percy said, peering down at his shoes and being grateful that he could repel water.

"Percy, be careful on this quest." Poseidon said, voice suddenly grave and full of concern. "This will not be like your other quests you have faced. Tartarus is old, older than Gaea perhaps. He would not move unless he felt that his odds of victory were truly insurmountable. He will have protections in place to keep you from reaching your destination."

"Yeah, I figured as much." Percy sighed, shrugging. "But it was the same for Gaea, right? She thought she had it in the bag too."

"Gaea grew careless in the end, allowing herself to materialize where she could be attacked." Poseidon countered, both of his hands upon Percy's shoulders. "Tartarus will not be so foolish, I believe that is the purpose of your quest. He must have taken measures that would prevent him from being killed here, possibly more than we know."

"We'll do it." Percy said confidently, raising his chin. "We always come through, we will this time too."

"Your confidence is warm to my heart." Poseidon said, smiling.

"If you are worried about that line about one of us not coming back-." Percy began, intending to deliver a heartfelt speech about how he was certain that none of them would fall during the quest.

"Oh, I am not worried that you will be the one to fall." Poseidon said bracingly, squeezing Percy's shoulders tightly. "That will be the son of Cybele, worry not."

"W-what?" Percy asked, all of his former bravado drained away in an instant. "Ryker? How do you know?"

"Don't worry about that for now." Poseidon told him. He glanced up at the sky and rolled his eyes. "My time grows short, I need to take my leave before Zeus intervenes. Here, my gift." Poseidon reached into the chest pocket of his Hawaiian shirt and pulled out a small golden charm with a trident pendant hanging on it. He took Percy's hand and slipped it on his son's wrist.

"Wait, what's this?" Percy asked confusedly. "How do you know about Ryker?"

"Take care, Percy." Poseidon said, dissolving into water. "I will watch over you as much as I can. The charm will activate when you have need of it most."


	78. The Beginning of the End

"So, this is it then?" Percy asked, leaning on the car that Leo had built to take them on their leg of the quest. The other eight demigods were assembled together in a loose circle, glancing to one another in silent concern.

"You guys be careful." Jason said seriously, looking to each of the group in turn. "Watch each other's backs and keep your head on a swivel. Whatever Tartarus throws at us, it won't be anything that we expect."

"Monsters, traps, freakish attempts to kill us." Leo counted the ideas off on his fingers. "Yeah, see, he kinda fell behind the curve on that one."

The group broke into nervous laughter and they quickly hugged and said their goodbyes. Frank and Hazel boarded a chariot that was attached to the foul-mouthed Arion, the horse stamping impatiently. "Since we can't really go much further West, I guess that we will have to see if Arion can run on water." Hazel explained to them. "Because I doubt we will get lucky enough for the chain we are looking for to be only a few dozen miles away. We'll start with Japan and then go from there."

"Be careful on the water." Leo cautioned. "I modified that chariot so that it is lightweight enough for you to float on water, and I even added a seriously wicked engine to it that can take you a few thousand miles if you need it, but it still has limits. If it takes a hard hit from a sea monster or something like that it won't last too long."

"Got it." Hazel said, nodding confidently.

"We'll make sure that it comes back to you." Frank told Leo with a smile. "In one piece I can't promise."

Leo had to stifle a groan as he thought about losing yet another creation he had poured his combustible soul into. He turned to Annabeth and Piper, both of whom had a Pegasus standing behind them. The winged horses were staring at Arion with interest. Arion seemed aware of this and was pointedly not looking at them in return, raising his head in a superior fashion instead. "You sure that you two want to take Pegasi instead of one of my babies?" Leo asked, the question having come up several times amongst their preparations. "Seriously, I could have two magical dirt bikes for you in like, an hour. Maybe two if you want some sweet body work on them."

"Pass." Piper said, smiling.

"It makes sense to take the Pegasi." Annabeth shrugged. "We can see more from the air and we only have to worry about the occasional _venti_ or other air monster."

"Fine, fine." Leo said, turning his gaze to Will and Nico. "I'm guessing you two-."

"Shadow travel." Nico nodded, his hand in his boyfriend's. "With only Will and I, we can cover a lot of ground every day. And, since this chain will probably cast a shadow, I should be able to find it pretty easy."

"Suit yourselves." Leo shrugged.

The group lapsed into another awkward silence before Annabeth clapped her hands together loudly and mounted her Pegasus. "Time for us to get moving." Percy moved forward to stand by her horse and she leaned down, sharing a final kiss with her boyfriend. "You'd better make it back, Seaweed Brain." She told him sternly.

Percy said nothing, staring at her for a long moment. He thought back to what his father had told him and sighed. "You too Wise Girl." He said sincerely.

The first to leave was Nico and Will. Waving goodbye to the others, Nico stepped into the shadow caused by one of the Pegasi and vanished into thin air with Will going with him. Frank and Hazel were the next ones to go, stepping onto the chariot and taking a deep breath. Arion finished the pile of gold that Hazel had summoned for him and stamped his feet several times. "Okay, Arion!" Hazel said encouragingly. "Let's see how fast you really can run!"

The horse was gone a millisecond after she had finished her sentence, the wind from his departure actually causing Leo to stagger slightly. "That horse has some serious speed." He said, looking at the direction that they had gone and shaking his head. "I can't even see them."

"Arion _is_ the fastest horse in the world." Piper reminded him, smiling. Jason stepped forward and Piper leaned down to kiss him on the lips before straightening up and gently pressing her heels against the side of her Pegasus. The mystical horse's wings extended to their full length and it shot into the air, climbing for altitude.

"Guess that's my cue." Annabeth said, following Piper's example and rocketing into the air. The three remaining demigods watched the girls go, not moving until they disappeared into the clouds.

"Our turn." Jason said, climbing into the car and taking a seat in the back. Leo had truly outdone himself with this one, the vehicle having all the amenities that a high end luxury car would have and a few that had not even been thought of until Leo had done something about it. "Hey Leo, what's this… trapdoor thing?"

"Oh, that is what made the car take so long." He explained. "I wasn't sure how much time we would be spending on the road, so I thought I would build a place we could sleep without worrying about a monster munching on us."

"Okay, but that doesn't explain what it is." Jason said, ducking out of Percy's line of sight to presumably inspect the trap door. A substantial amount of clanking and a low whistle by Jason followed soon after and Percy peered over the edge of the car, frowning. Jason had disappeared from the back, a hatch opened at the bottom of the car. As Percy watched Jason poked his head out of the hatch and shook his head. "You took one of the tents of the Hunters of Artemis, didn't you?" He asked Leo, grinning.

"Took, that's a good word." Leo said fairly. "But _I_ did nothing. I had the Hermes cabin do it for me. After that it was a simple matter to take the enchantment from that and transfer it to my little trapdoor."

"That's sweet man!" Percy said, climbing into the front passenger side of the car. "But don't you think the Hunters are going to be upset when they realize that one of their tents are missing?"

"Probably." Leo admitted. "But they can't prove that I am the one who arranged to have it stolen, so, really, that seems like a 'them' problem to me."

Leo turned the car's ignition key and grinned wildly as the engine roared to life. "I haven't fully tested this yet." He admitted to Percy. Jason had disappeared into the trapdoor again, the hatch closed behind him. "I only had time to take it out for a single test spin, and I haven't tested any of the defense or weapons systems I installed."

"Well, never a better time to test them out than on the road." Percy said wisely.

"I like the way you think, Jackson." Leo said, slamming his foot down on the accelerator and launching the golden car forward. There was a dull thud from below the floor of the car and a stream of muted cursing drifted up to them from where Jason was at. "Okay, test number one results: turns out the car's momentum affects the tent. I wasn't sure it would, to be honest. Jason was a very effective guinea pig."

Percy laughed as they turned onto the highway and Leo really opened their machine up, passing by other cars so quickly that they were seemingly standing still.

In the trees of the camp, demigods clad in red stood silent. They watched as the last of the questing demigods departed and glanced between themselves. "It's time." Dante said, floating lightly down from where he stood on his branch. He touched down on the earth with barely a sound, the others watching him intently. His face was the picture of disgust and discontent, scowling miserably as he made his way to the outskirts of the camp. At his sides were his weapon of choice, two Imperial gold-lines chakrams that, somehow, always returned to their owner.

As expected, two Roman guards and two Greek scouts were there the moment he was within the camp's boundaries. "Who are you?" One Roman asked roughly, directing his spear at the newcomer.

Dante forced a smile, a cold one that never reached his eyes, and gently brushed the spear aside with one finger. "I am here to speak to your commanders." He said coolly. "On behalf of the demigods who have made their way alone in this world."

"Uh, what?" One of the Greeks asked, not following.

"What do you mean, demigods who made their way alone?" The other asked.

Dante's patience, which was admittedly fleeting at best, was wearing incredibly thin and he thought for a long moment about simply getting rid of these four obstacles and moving into the camp. He knew from his reconnaissance where the tent of the commanders were, and he was reasonably certain that he could get there without being detected. "I am sure that you are aware that not all demigods are found by the scouts you send out." He said, giving the diplomatic route one last try. His hands were already beginning to drift towards his chakrams, sizing up the sentries. "Well, those of us who were never found have formed our own little Hunt. We have come to offer our assistance against Tartarus."

"And how do you know about that?" One of the Romans, the one who had directed his spear at Dante, asked bluntly.

Dante pursed his lips, considering the exchange. He nodded once at his conclusion: he had attempted the diplomatic route for long enough. It was time that he either finished the conversation, his way, or they allowed him to pass. "I will gladly answer any and all questions that your commanders have for me, provided that it is them who answers them."

"I think you will answer any questions that _we_ ask, first." One of the Greeks said, raising his sword.

The sword had barely moved when it abruptly stopped, the reason being the chakram that had inexplicably appeared at the offending Greek's throat. "I have been very patient." Dante said coolly. "Now, you will let me pass or I will be forced to make you."

"I hate to tell you this, but you are outnumbered." One of the Romans said, stepping back several feet and raising her spear. "I don't know who you are, but you are under arrest."

Dante rolled his eyes and raised the hand that was not holding the chakram to the Greek's throat. On cue, an arrow arced from the trees and smashed into the spear, neatly removing the spearhead. "Now, I think it best that you reconsider your statements." Dante said coolly, smiling with savage glee. "Next time the arrow might not miss."

 **Hello readers, I hope you have been enjoying Forgotten Prophecy. I thought I would have a bit of fun here, now that things have finally finished developing. If you would like an OC to be considered(for the Hunters of Artemis or the Hunters of Orion) please PM me and let me know. As always, your reviews are much appreciated.**

 **Cheers, Hallowed**


	79. PSA

**Hello Readers, Hallowed here. I have begun to work on the next chapter, but again I would like to include more OC's that you guys submit for the side of either The Hunters of Orion or Artemis. I have very few submissions right now, and I would greatly appreciate some more. You can PM me or post it in the reviews if you do not have an account on the site or wish to remain anonymous. Thank you in advance.**

 **Cheers, Hallowed**


	80. Truth

"It is amazing what can be accomplished when the threat of imminent death is there to provide a nice amount of motivation." Dante said cheerfully as two of the guards, one Greek and one Roman, led him back to camp. He kept his hands on his chakrams, casually running his thumb across their razor sharp edges.

The Greek and Roman glanced back at him with angry glares before turning their attention back to the path before them. The two Camps seemed to sense that something was amiss and a small group of them met the sentries as they entered the main settlement. They shot questioning glances to Dante and he raised his chin and smiled in a superior fashion. He heard muttering begin as he passed, catching brief snippets regarding his odd weapon choice and choice of clothing.

Sure enough, more and more demigods appeared at the edges of the path they walked. The sentries paused before a rather large tent and turned back to face Dante. "Stay here." The Roman woman commanded, slipping into the tent. The Greek shot him a scowl and followed suit a moment later.

Dante smirked and followed right after them, the cloth doors of the tent not so much as moving as he passed silently past them. There were two people inside the tent, not including the guards who were looking very nervous now. The two other people were both female, hunched over a map stretched out on the desk before them. Knives had been used to keep the corners from rolling in, standing straight up on the desk. Dante knew both of the women, their appearance and garb a dead giveaway. "Thalia Grace." He said softly, his voice scarcely more than a whisper. "And Praetor Reyna."

They both looked up sharply and Reyna narrowed her eyes, glancing to the sentries. "I thought you told him to wait outside?" She snapped.

"Oh, they did." Dante said, striding forward and patting the Greek sentry on the shoulder as he passed. "But I have no reason to listen to them, or you for that matter."

"And who might you be?" Thalia asked, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear and frowning slightly.

"My name is Dante." He answered politely. "I think, Thalia Grace that you may want to summon your patron. I've been sent to speak to the leaders of the two camps and the Hunters of Artemis."

"And who sent you?" Reyna demanded, rapping the table with a knuckle and fixing him with a dangerous look. "Making such demands is dangerous, particularly nowadays."

"I am aware of your… problems with the Corrupted and Tartarus." Dante informed them. "Very aware. But, to answer your previous question, I was sent by Ryker. Ryker… and Orion."

The speed at which Thalia removed a dagger from the corner of the map and launched it at Dante was impressive to say the least. Unfortunately for the guard directly behind Dante, the dagger sailed right through his chest and buried itself in the flesh of her shoulder. She fell to the ground with a confused cry of pain, her spear clattering to the floor beside her. Dante glanced around and frowned disapprovingly before he glanced back to Thalia and chided, "Now, you see what you did? Really should be careful with knives. They can really hurt someone."

Thalia was still moving before he had finished speaking, momentarily having been stunned from the ineffectiveness of her knife against Dante. She grabbed him by the front of his shirt, appearing somewhat surprised at her ability to actually touch him, and gave him a rough shake. "What do you know of Orion?" She hissed, her voice low and deadly.

"A fair amount actually." Dante said, stepping backwards. Thalia's hands, which had been gripping his shirt tightly, were suddenly holding nothing. He brushed off his shirt, lip curling in disgust and rolled his eyes. "But, as I said, it would be best for us to have this conversation with the leaders _all_ present. I do so despise repeating myself."

"Who's your godly parent?" Reyna demanded, looking from Thalia to the wounded guard. The other guard had immediately gone to his aid and was now wrapping a bandage around the wound, the bloodied knife lying discarded on the floor.

"I don't know, and I really do not care." Dante answered, "In all honest-."

"Melinoe." Thalia said suddenly, unexpectedly. "I've seen an ability like that before. One of our Hunters is a daughter of Melinoe, her name is Lydia."

As if on cue, a flaming brand appeared in the air above Dante's head. He glanced up in disgust and looked away just as quickly. "I have no parents." He said coldly, turning on his heel and marching to the tent's exit. Over his shoulder as a last aside he added, "Once the leaders have been gathered, bring them to the camp's border. Not the tree line, the tent line. We will meet you there."

"'We'?" Thalia repeated warily. "Who is we?"

"The Hunters of Orion." Dante said before slipping out of the tent, leaving a breathless silence in his wake.

Thalia and Reyna slowly met one another's gaze, incredulous disbelief written all over their faces. "There's no way." Thalia said after a few moments of silence. "None. The Hunters of Artemis-, we… he was lying there is no way."

"He wasn't lying." Reyna said grudgingly, glancing to her dogs hidden by the tent's entrance. "They didn't growl so much as once, he was telling the truth."

"I don't believe it." Thalia declared, exiting the tent. Reyna watched her go and then departed the tent as well a few moments later, going to search for the Chiron, Connor Stoll, and Butch Walker. They were the current impromptu leaders of the Greeks and it made coordinating with them… difficult at best. Connor seemed only really interested in causing mayhem for the Corrupted when they attacked, or stealing everything that wasn't nailed down when they weren't planning. Butch on the other hand spent more time with the pegasi than he did planning and pulling him away from them proved to be a significant battle in of itself.

With her head full of angry thoughts and possible explanations for how this Dante character might have fooled Reyna's dogs, Thalia quickly made her way to where the Hunters' tents were and threw open the door to the first tent on her right. As expected, the Hunter she was looking for was there lounging on the couch reading a bloodstained copy of _Pride and Prejudice and Zombies_. She glanced up at the arrival and nodded to Thalia before returning to her book. "Lydia!" Thalia barked, startling her into dropping her book onto her face.

When she retrieved her book from where it lay on her face her face had twisted into an irritated scowl. "Yes, whatever can I do for you?" She asked coldly.

"Can you lie?" Thalia asked bluntly.

"Can I lie?" Lydia asked, opening her book once more though her attention remained on Thalia. "Nope. Never. Everything I have ever said is the absolute truth. I can't even spell the word lie."

"I'm being serious." Thalia snapped, folding her arms across her chest and glaring at her.

"Whoa, what happened to you?" Lydia asked, frowning at the tone her lieutenant was using. "You seem really pissy."

"Answer the question, Lydia!" Thalia said tiredly.

"Yes, of course I can lie." Lydia said, stating the answer as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Everyone can."

"No, I mean like can you get away with lying in front of Reyna's dogs?" Thalia elaborated, eager to have the answer. "Can your siblings?"

"I don't have any siblings, first of all." Lydia said, slightly disappointedly. "Never have. And… if this is about the books missing from the Roman library, I'm not giving them back. They are mine now, and those dogs can get over it."

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Thalia said, not at all following the direction this conversation had taken. "What books?"

"What are _you_ talking about?" Lydia asked, clearly hesitant to incriminate herself any further.

"There was a boy who came to the camp-."

"A boy?" Lydia asked, suddenly serious. "Was he a Corrupted?"

"No, at least, I don't think so." Thalia said, waving aside the question. "He did the same thing you did, where you can't be touched. He did it twice, so I know it for sure."

"So you think he might be a son Melinoe?" Lydia asked, suddenly eager. She had never actually encountered another child of Melinoe and the prospect was quite appealing to her, though it had nothing to do with a desire for any sort of family reunion.

"I'm sure he is." Thalia confirmed. "Before he left, her sign appeared in the air above him. But that's not the problem!"

"I agree, this isn't a problem this is awesome!" Lydia said enthusiastically.

"You aren't listening, Lydia!" Thalia snapped, throwing her hands into the air. "He said he was part of the Hunters of Orion!"

That brought any potential joy that Lydia was feeling to a frosty halt. Her joyous grin and wicked glee in her eyes was replaced by a snarl. "There is no such thing, we would have brought it to a stop a long time ago." She said dismissively.

"I thought the same thing." Thalia agreed. "But he said it in front of Reyna's dogs and they didn't say a thing. If nothing else, he was being honest."

"Well, we know what we have to do then." Lydia said, carefully placing a bookmark in her novel and laying it on the couch. She rose from her seat and darted into her room, returning with her bow in one hand and a quiver of silver arrows on her back. "They wanted to play, let's play."

"That's the thing…" Thalia said slowly, patting the air soothingly. "He didn't mention anything about wanting to fight us, in fact he didn't attack us at all. I attacked him, and he just brushed it off."

"This is very grave news." Artemis said suddenly from directly behind Thalia. The lieutenant whirled around in surprise and shook her head in dismay. "If Orion has started a rival hunt, I am inclined to agree with Lydia. Such a thing cannot be allowed to exist, particularly if it is outside the control of the gods."

"My lady," Thalia inclined her head and then continued, "They asked for a meeting on the boundaries of the camp, they asked for you and me to be there as well."

"Naturally." Artemis nodded. "And I am certain they asked for the other leaders of the Roman and Greek camps to be there as well."

"He did." Thalia confirmed. "What should we do?"

"You and I will go as requested." Artemis answered immediately. She turned to Lydia and continued, "You will gather the Hunters and instruct them to make their way over to the meeting place as soon as they are all ready. Do not come over one at a time, or in small groups. Ensure that the whole force is shown as one."

"Of course my lady." Lydia bowed her head and then disappeared out of the back of the tent, passing through the fabric like it wasn't there at all.

"Shall we?" Artemis asked, assuming her goddess form and her silver dress. An elegant bow was over one shoulder, the weapon deviously misrepresenting what true destruction it could wrought. She stepped out of the tent and set a pace towards the expected meeting place that had Thalia jogging lightly to keep up. "Keep your shield and sword ready, Thalia."

Thalia reached over one shoulder and patted her shield fondly, her sword bouncing by her hip. Since the first attack by the Corrupted she and every other demigod had taken to carrying their weapons on them at all times, resulting in some rather bizarre medical issues being attended to by the medical cabins. "Of course." Thalia nodded.

They met Chiron, Reyna, Connor, Butch, and surprisingly another of Artemis's chosen at the edge of the tent line as expected. "Artemis, always a pleasure to see you." Chiron said, his voice grave as he carefully watched the treeline.

"Violet, what are you doing here?" Thalia asked in a low voice once she had taken a place by her side.

"Well I heard something was going down, and I couldn't let my baby brother do something that could get him hurt." She said loftily, shooting a sly grin to Butch who scowled in response.

"I told you to stop calling me that." He snapped irritably.

"Never." Violet grinned.

As if on cue, once Thalia and Artemis had come to stand next to the other assembled leaders, red garbed demigods began to drop out of the trees and step out of the forest's shadows. They stepped out from the tree line as one, drawing a low whistle from Connor as he beheld their numbers. While they were certainly not as many as the Hunters of Artemis, perhaps two dozen less, they still had a sizable force at their disposal. As they grew closer and closer to camp, flaming brands began to appear above their hands at a faster and faster rate until it looked as though a horizontal pillar of flame had formed over their heads. They stopped ten yards in front of the leaders of the camps and Hunters of Artemis, their eyes clearly wary underneath their cowls.

After a brief pause, three of the red-clad demigods moved forward. Two of them threw back the cowls of their armor, the third remaining hidden behind a mask that covered the lower half of his face. "As promised, the Hunters of Orion." Dante said with a small, mocking bow. "For those of you who don't know, my name is Dante. This is Zain, and Leonard."


	81. Negotiation

After Dante's introduction the two groups of leaders slipped into an awkward silence, the Hunters of Orion staring expectantly at the others while the Hunters of Artemis and campers exchanged wary glances to one another. It was, unsurprisingly, Chiron who spoke up to break the silence extending between them. He took a hesitant step forward and raised his hands, palms outward, in a gesture of peace. "Hello. Welcome to Camp Jupiter, my name is Chiron. I am the head counsellor for the Greek demigod camp."

"We've heard of you." Leonard said curtly. His arms were crossed tightly over his chest, scowling at the centaur.

"Now, now, Leonard." Dante said chidingly, a cruel little smile playing at his lips. "Let's not start things off being rude, plenty of time for that later."

"Watch it." Thalia snarled, a hand going to her sword. She already could barely stand the sight of the Hunters of Orion. Their red garb was easily reminiscent of the armor that the Giant wore, the reminder infuriating in the extreme. The Hunters of Artemis moved ever closer, bows at the ready and long knives drawn as they sensed a conflict looming closer.

An arrow arced up from the woods and buried itself directly in front of the line of Artemis's Hunters, halting their advance. "Now, I would recommend calming yourselves." Dante said smoothly, nodding to the main force of the silver Hunters. "Otherwise something rather unfortunate might happen."

It was almost as soon as the words had left Dante's lips that a silver arrow came streaking out from Artemis's Hunters. The shot had been aimed directly for Dante's throat, though it never reached its intended target. Zain stepped forward before the arrow had even been shot and intercepted the arrow, the barbed head lodging itself in _his_ throat rather than Dante's. He staggered back one step and shook his head. Dante glanced curiously to his comrade, one eyebrow arched curiously. A small cheer went up from the silver Hunters at the sight of blood pouring down one of the red Hunters' throat. But their cheer was short lived. Zain reached up and grabbed the arrow's silver shaft and slowly pulled it out of his throat, the fabric of his lower mask going with the arrow. A collective gasp of shock went up from both the Hunters and the leaders of the two camps.

"What in Hades…" Thalia said in a low voice. It was clear to what she spoke about. Though the upper side of Zain's face was unmarred and untouched, everything beneath the bridge of his nose was an atrocity. Chunks of flesh were missing from his jaw and, beneath the blood which had slowed to a near stop, several long scars ran up and down the length of his throat.

Zain inspected the arrow he had pulled from his throat, bits of flesh still clinging to the arrow, and then tossed it aside without another thought. His expression remained bored and neutral throughout the entire ordeal, never once showing pain or anything of the like. Dante waited for the arrow to hit the ground before turning his attention back to Chiron and the others. Behind him the Hunters of Orion had drawn their various weapons and were looking expectantly towards the Hunters of Artemis, almost as though waiting for an order to attack. "Now, that wasn't very nice." Dante said coldly, glaring at Artemis.

The goddess raised her chin and stared down the bridge of her nose at the red Hunter. "It was deserved." She said with equal ice in her voice. "I hope that you learned-."

"Moving on." Dante said, cutting off the goddess mid-sentence. There was a collection of gasps and furious muttering from the Hunters of Artemis and they began to move forward again. "If you really want to do this, fine." Dante said softly, his hands fluttering down to the chakrams at his side.

For a moment it looked as though bloodshed was unavoidable. The Hunters of Artemis had their bows drawn and aimed directly at the Hunters of Orion. The red Hunters had their weapons in hand and were looking hungrily at the silver Hunters, almost begging them to start the confrontation. Just when the proverbial fire was about to begin, a piercing whistle rang out from the trees that the red Hunters had appeared from. For the first time since the meeting had begun the male Hunters tore their gaze away from the females. With looks of loathing and disgust, they slowly lowered their weapons and returned them to their various holsters.

"Well, that was certainly anticlimactic." Dante said with a sour expression, his chakrams hanging by his side once more. He crossed his arms and glanced back to the red Hunters assembled behind him. "Calm you lot, calm."

"You must understand your position." Artemis said, drawing the conversation back to the issue as she saw it. "The only immortal hunters allowed to exist in this world are myself and my hunters. You, you are an abomination."

"I am sure that is our position as _you_ see it." Dante countered, smirking. "But there are two sides to every argument."

"You will speak to Lady Artemis with respect!" One of the silver hunters snapped from the newly arrived ranks.

"I'll speak to her and anyone like I want to." Dante sneered, his grin deliberately antagonizing. He tapped one finger against the side of one chakram and raised one eyebrow. "But you are more than welcome to try and stop me, pardon, us."

"Please, let's not get distracted from the reason you called this meeting." Chiron said, eager to avoid any bloodshed that he saw as unnecessary. "Please, all of you, let us be civil. At least for now. We have more pressing adversaries than one another."

"Tell that to them, we aren't the one who came here with the intention of killing us." Leonard scoffed. He waited for one of the Hunters to dispute the claim and smiled when no argument came forth.

"Yes, well, these are dangerous times." Chiron, ever the diplomat, said smoothly. "One can never be too certain. You must understand how it sounded. Orion has long been a very dangerous nemesis to both of the demigod camps. The fact that you came here under his name, claiming to be his Hunters, it was only wise for us to prepare ourselves for a fight."

"You should always be ready for a fight." Dante said fairly, nodding in acceptance of the explanation. "I'll give you that. So, you asked what we are here for?"

"Please, I am sure that an explanation will speed along these talks." Chiron nodded.

"And it may very well save your life." Artemis added coldly.

A muscle worked in Dante's jaw as he obviously worked hard at remaining calm. He inhaled a deep breath and slowly exhaled it, his fingertips fluttering at his side. "We are here, at Orion's order, to assist you in the battle against Tartarus and his Corrupted. No matter what you may think of us, and I have a pretty good idea none of it is good, we are demigods as well. From what we have seen you could use all the help you can get."

"And what is it you want in return?" Artemis demanded, addressing a question that had popped into the heads of all those assembled.

"We don't want anything." Dante said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Rhea made us swear that we demand that we have a place at the camps if we ever want to leave the Hunt-."

"You are not part of the Hunt!" One silver Hunter screeched indignantly.

"But other than that we really don't have any demands." Dante shrugged, ignoring the outburst. "If you don't fulfill that one request, well, first off you are terrible hypocrites and secondly, we are going to fight the Corrupted anyways. Lots of fun. But it would be unfortunate if the camps mistook us for Corrupted and killed one of us. That would not end very well, for anyone. In fact it might very well turn into a three way battle."

"Is that a threat?" Chiron asked, his voice decidedly neutral.

"No, more along the lines of predicting the future." Dante's smile widened slightly. "Look, we aren't asking for much. Food and water since we would be fighting alongside you. Somewhere to sleep out of the woods would be nice too. We aren't as well equipped as your pretty little silver starlings over there."

"What did you call us?" Violet demanded, her hair curiously changing colors from a light blue to a fiery red in an instant.

"Ooh, temper, temper." Dante said loftily. He spread his arms wide and dropped his mocking grin. "There it is. You asked what we wanted, there it is. Plain as day. After we are done taking care of the Corrupted, well, we can see how things go after that."

"You have a deal." Chiron said after a moment's pause.

"You have no right to make such an accord!" Artemis said, silver light flaring up around her in anger.

"Despite your personal vendetta, these demigods have done nothing wrong." Chiron said firmly. He clopped forward several steps and extended one hairy hand towards Dante. "And they are right, we are in grave need of more fighters. The last battle proved that to us."

Shaking the proffered hand, Dante glanced to Leonard who nodded slightly. "Pleasure doing business with you." Dante said, quickly releasing the limb. "So, where would you have us stay?"

"In truth, I think that it may be best for you to be as far from the Hunters of Artemis as you possibly can." Chiron said, glancing over his shoulder at the absolutely enraged female hunters. "Otherwise I fear that bloodshed may very well be unavoidable. Tell me, do you remember the symbols that appeared over each of your heads?"

"If you are about to suggest that we stay in the cabins with our so-called 'siblings' I am going to stop you right there." Dante said decisively. "We have no desire to associate with any of them. Although they are allowed to make their own choices, the others generally have the same feelings."

"I suppose that such an idea was wishful thinking." Chiron admitted with a sigh. "There is a cabin on the other side of the camp, a few blocks beyond the mess hall, it is currently uninhabited. If you so wish, you can claim that one. Be warned, you are bordering both the Hermes and Mercury cabins. Things may… go missing."

"That's enough." Artemis said forcefully, her voice loud enough to cause a slight ache in the eardrums of the demigods. "Chiron, whatever the reason, I cannot allow these atrocities to step foot into the camp." The silver Hunters had moved forward and were now barring the path into the camp. Bows had been drawn and blades readied, the determined stare of the Hunters speaking volumes.

"Well. That's as far as diplomacy get us boys." Dante said, chakrams in hand and at the ready. He glanced to Chiron and inclined his head slightly. "I thank you for your kindness, it is rare in this world. If there are any of us left, we will gladly take you up on that offer of the cabin. For now though, you may very well want to get out of the way. Unless you want to join them. Or us, if you would like. God knows dealing with those silver starlings may very well get annoying."

"If you call us that one more time I am going to rip your tongue from your mouth." Violet threatened, an arrow aimed directly at Dante. "While you are still alive."

"Ooh, I am _so_ down for that." Lydia said with a wild grin. "I would love to see you choke on your own blood. And your red armor won't even stain!"

Chiron stood resolutely between the two groups of Hunters, his hands held up in a gesture of peace. "Please, there is no need for this." He said pleadingly. "We are already at war with the forces of Tartarus, there is no reason for us to further weaken ourselves."

Artemis had opened her mouth to speak when several of her Hunters gave sudden cries of surprise. For a moment it looked like it was going to be the spark that ignited the inferno, but the source of the surprise quickly appeared at the front lines in the form of a very young girl with dark hair. She squeezed between Thalia and Artemis without a care in the world, her little legs pumping furiously as they ran towards the Hunters of Orion. "Zaaaaain!" She squealed, pure delight evident in her voice.

The blonde haired, emaciated demigod began to frantically pat himself down for something the second the little girl had pushed between the silver Hunters. Clearly understanding his sudden concern, Leonard ripped the sleeve off of his armor and cut it length ways so that it was a passable replacement for the mask that had been ripped away by the arrow. "Here, Zain." Leonard said, offering the red cloth to the blood-covered demigod.

Zain shot him a look filled with gratitude and quickly tied it around the lower half of his face, covering the scars and chunks of missing flesh. Just in time as it happened. He had just finished the knot when the little demigod leapt into the air and wrapped her arms around Zain's midsection. His arms went around her head and a lone tear escaped before he could wipe it away. He glanced pleadingly back to the group of red demigods and one of them stepped forward, placing a hand on Zain's shoulder and nodding. "Cloe." He croaked, his voice raspy and unused. "I missed you so much."

"You left!" She said, her little fists beginning to punch at him. "You left me! You promised you wouldn't! You left!"

"I'm… sorry." He said, his voice unsteady. "But…I had to go."

"I'm sorry!" An out of breath Clarissa LaRue said, coming to a skidding halt beside the Hunters of Artemis. "We were at the pegasi when she suddenly froze and then bolted. For a six year old the kid can move."

"Cloe, do you know this young man?" Chiron asked gently, his hand on her shoulder.

"Zain." She hiccupped, pausing from the sobbing. "H-he's my big brother."

This revelation was apparently not news to the red hunters, though they seemed unsure of what to make of the family reunion. The Hunters of Artemis however, seemed stunned. Cloe wiped her nose and eyes on Zain's pants and turned back to Chiron, her hand firmly crushing Zain's. She spied Butch and her face lit up. "Butchy!" She exclaimed delightedly. "Can I take Zain to see the horsies?!"

"Butchy?" Violet asked, arching one eyebrow and looking to her little brother for an explanation.

"Look, she has called me it from day one." He said grumpily, "You try telling a six year old not to do something. It doesn't work, and she is among the worst of them."

"Cloe, come back here." Clarissa called warily, glaring at the red hunters. "You didn't finish feeding the pegasi and you know how they get when they think they didn't get fed enough. They might not let you pet them again.

"Come on, Zain!" Cloe said, tugging on her brother's hand and pulling him along.

Almost of their own accord, Zain's legs moved and followed after his little sister. He glanced back questioningly to Dante who shrugged in response, unsure of how to respond to this unexpected development. The Hunters of Artemis parted as Cloe approached them, Zain watching them warily. He picked up Cloe and wrapped his arms around her protectively, the little girl giggling madly and climbing up to sit on his shoulders instead. He held on to her legs to steady her and slowly moved through the ranks of the Hunters, glancing from side to side. "My lady?" Thalia asked uncertainly, watching Zain move further into the camp.

For the first time since Thalia had begun to serve the goddess, Artemis seemed genuinely perplexed. "I suppose that the choice has been made for us." Artemis mused, half-annoyed and half-amused. "By a little one of no more than six."

 **So, my readers, it is question time. Would any of you be interested in a story regarding the Hunters of Orion and the Hunters of Artemis? A standalone story. Please, let me know.**

 **Cheers, Hallowed**


	82. Ceasefire

Hidden away in the trees that bordered the demigod camps, stood Orion. He watched as his Hunters warily made their first entrance into the camp. He was connected to them through their oath and acutely felt the overriding sense of unease and restlessness that each and every one of them was feeling. They were wary of some potential attack lying in wait from the campers or an ambush by the Hunters of Artemis, and as such their hands were never far from their weapons. He had asked Rhea for the same bonds that Artemis had with her Hunters, but he never imagined that they were so strong. While he didn't regret making the deal in the slightest, the constant shift of emotions from his Hunters made him acutely aware of why Artemis took leave of her Hunters as often as she did. He may very well find comfort in the same way that she did.

A shift in the wind through the trees was all that alerted him to the presence of someone else in the trees. "If you were trying to sneak up on me you really have lost your touch." He said, not taking his eyes off the camps. "Or maybe you thought I have?"

"I suppose that both are possible." Artemis said, stepping from the shadow of a tree. Her bow was held loosely in her hand, though she had no arrow nocked on the string. That did not matter, the goddess could summon an arrow and fire it before most mortals could blink. "Though the latter is far more likely than the former."

"You always did have a tendency to underestimate me." Orion said in a low voice. He had assumed the form of a young male, just a hair taller than his tallest Hunter. "I guess it might have been too much to hope for that time would have cured you of that."

"Pride has always been my burden." Artemis admitted with a careless shrug. "Just like hubris has always been yours."

"We all have our faults." Orion allowed, finally tearing his gaze away from the camps and turning to look at Artemis. She was in her twelve-year old girl form, making her bow look even larger than it already was. "How did you know that I was here? The arrow?"

"It certainly gave you away." Artemis nodded. "Besides, your… comrade, Dante I believe is his name, the one with the sharp tongue, he had already stated that your Hunters were all assembled before us."

"It could have been a ruse." Orion said fairly. "It's never wise to reveal all of your cards before the game is over."

"True. There is that. But I also sensed your presence nearby." Artemis said, leaning slightly on her bow. "I must say, I have expected many things from you over the centuries we have been at odds. But this… This caught even me by surprise. What is your plan, Orion?"

"No plan." He said simply, raising and lowering his shoulders. "No plot. No wicked schemes. We are the world's two greatest hunters, Artemis. You know that to be true. Despite all of our animosity towards one another, we are the best."

"I believe that Ryker may dispute that." Artemis said fairly. "He has certainly implied a fair amount of incredulity towards the idea."

"Yes, well, that is his nature." Orion nodded. "I assume you understand that Ryker is under my Hunt now?"

"Impossible, my mark-."

"Rhea superseded your mark, to make things fair." Orion explained, his voice devoid of any antagonism. "I needed a lieutenant, someone vicious enough to make even that lot toe the line. Ryker was the obvious choice."

"You very well know that Ryker has changed." Artemis said slowly, her eyes narrowed.

"What can change, can change back." Orion retorted. "Which is clear in this case. I would have showed my Hunt sooner, but I needed to show Ryker one of the hidden entrances into Tartarus."

"You said he changed, how?" Artemis asked, her eyes narrowed. "The death of his mother gave him perspective."

"I'm not sure how." Orion admitted, shrugging once more. "One of the Hunt, Erik, wanted to test him. When Ryker came to me for help on his quest, Erik stopped him. He told Ryker that he wanted to test him and that if he failed he would kill Cloe. The girl was never in any danger, you saw why, but Ryker did not hesitate."

"What do you mean?" Artemis asked slowly, unsure if she wanted to hear the answer.

"He ripped out Erik's heart in front of the rest of the Hunt." Orion said, allowing himself a slight smile. It was not a smile of joy or anything of the smile, it was one of worry. "He then showed the heart to the others and told them that if anyone else questioned him that they would be next. I'm… not sure what happened to him. It was like he flipped a switch. In truth I had questioned whether or not he had gone too soft to lead my Hunt."

"It seems as though he may have reverted back to his old ways." Artemis allowed, though confusion was evident in her voice. "But that does not make sense, he had no trigger. Nothing happened to my knowledge that would cause this. I can sense-."

"Sense the thoughts and mood of your Hunters." Orion finished, nodding. "Rhea gave me all the same attachments you have to your Hunters, I know well your situation. And I understand it. For a brief time, I imagine you and I had a shared claim on Ryker. But you must have lost yours once mine fully took hold. Like I said, it was like a switch flipped. He went from calm and collected to savage and vicious in less time than it takes to draw in a breath."

Artemis processed this information for a long moment, staring down at the forest floor as she thought. "This is a grave change, and yet another one I did not see."

"Being sent on so many quests in such a short time might be the cause." Orion offered. He sighed and raised his chin, his eyes growing cold. "But you did not come here to discuss my lieutenant, did you?"

"No, I did not." Artemis said, raising her eyes back to the Giant and narrowing them. "Your Hunt, it is an affront in the eyes of the gods. You must know that they will not be allowed to live. Zeus will slaughter them the second that they are no longer of use to the camps."

"Maybe." Orion allowed. "But I don't think so. Zeus may not fear Rhea, not exactly, but he does respect her. Those Hunters of mine, they carry the mark of Rhea. Each and every one. No matter what Zeus may think of them, he won't risk going against Rhea. My Hunt will remain."

"And what will you do with your Hunt?" Artemis demanded, her voice rising in anger. "Hunt down monsters? Those demigods you have recruited are as wild as you are, undisciplined! They will cause far more damage than they could hope to repair!"

"Oh, I am sure that we will find something to keep us occupied." Orion said airily. "With Ryker and I to keep them in check, I am fairly confident that we can accomplish quite a bit."

"And what happens when conflict arises between our Hunts?" Artemis snapped. "My Hunters will never forgive you for the centuries of havoc and murder you have brought against us, and neither will I. Despite your new moral code, I will never see you as anything more than a monster that needs to be killed."

"That's your decision, not mine." Orion shrugged. "My Hunt won't bother yours… until you strike first. After that, who can say?"

"Are you threatening me?" Artemis asked, her voice low and deadly. A ghostly white arrow appeared in her hand, ready to be nocked and fired.

"No, just making sure we are on the same page." Orion corrected. "I won't bother your Hunt, if your Hunt doesn't bother mine. To get Rhea to give into my request, I had to agree to drop my vendetta against you and your own. As far as I am concerned, we are at a fresh slate. I would advise you to do the same, otherwise our Hunts will slaughter one another and we will be back to square one. With both of us being alone once more."

"So, that's your final compromise?" Artemis asked, "Either let our Hunts slaughter one another in a fit of mutually assured destruction, or forgive you for years and years of carnage?"

"Let's not forget, you were the one who started our feud." Orion said softly. "You and I know that truth, despite what everyone else thought. You had begun to question your oath of maidenhood and once you realized that you could not handle that fact you killed me. No one else knows that truth, just you and I. And I have kept it as such because of my last vestiges of respect for you. This is your chance to end all of the murder, the pain, the suffering. I have already forgiven you, can you do the same?"

Artemis said nothing, studying Orion's face for any sign of deception. "I will… consider your words." She said finally. "But do not mistake that for any guarantees of any forgiveness. It is not just myself who will need to forgive you. You have scarred many of my Hunters in more ways than simply physical."

"I won't hold my breath then." Orion said, unconcerned with the result of Artemis's deliberations in the extreme. "You may want to get back to your Hunters. A few of mine and yours are exchanging words and none of them are pleasant. It would be a shame for the potential ceasefire between us to be marred by a slaughter."


	83. The Missing God

"You know, I think you misunderstand our purpose here." Dante said irritably the moment he stepped into the command tent, his hair sticking up wildly from having just woken up. It was the dead of night and he had only just gotten to sleep after ensuring that everything promised to them had been given. Mere moments after he had shut his eyes the Hunter of Orion standing guard had shook him roughly awake and told him that he had been told to report to the command tent. "You can't order us around, we don't answer to any of you."

"And yet you came nonetheless." Artemis said dismissively. "That somewhat invalidates your argument."

"Relax, Dante, I was the one who told them to get you." Orion said stepping forward from the shadows.

"Look who showed up." Dante said, arching an eyebrow. "I expected a lot more screaming from this lot when you would. Maybe they aren't as spineless as I thought."

"Oh, they probably are." Orion said with a grin. "But Artemis, so kindly, warned them before I arrived. Besides, they aren't used to me in this form since I have never used it before."

"Makes sense." Dante turned his gaze back to the tent and quickly took account for everyone present. Chiron, Reyna, Thalia, Artemis, Orion, and Clarissa were all standing around a table with various expressions on their face from worry to anger. "What's all this about then?"

"It's too far for certain, but it looks like there may have been another abduction." Chiron said gravely.

Dante glanced to Orion questioningly. "Thought you quit all that since Rhea let you start the Hunt?"

Orion rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "This wasn't my doing." He sneered. "It wasn't a demigod that went missing this time."

"Hercules has not been seen for several days now." Reyna supplied crisply.

"So he ran, doesn't mean that he got grabbed." Dante retorted.

"I said the same thing." Thalia agreed grudgingly, "But apparently that's not the case. In our first fight against Tartarus we had a large amount of gods and goddesses fighting beside us, minor and major. After Cybele was killed that number went down a lot, many of the gods deciding that they didn't want to risk the same fate. On top of that not every god answered our call for aid to begin with, most of the really minor gods even decided that they didn't care about the outcome. But Hercules was one of the ones who stayed. At the reverse-funeral Apollo had he got drunk and swore on the River Styx that he would fight alongside us until the end no matter what."

"So he lied and ran, big deal." Dante said flatly. "It happens."

"Impossible." Orion said, dismissing the idea and surprising his Hunter. "Making a vow on the River Styx is just as binding, if not more so, than the oath you took when you joined the Hunt. It's irrevocable. You can't break it."

Dante fell silent, contemplating this. Thalia spoke up then, "Unless there is something else capable of kidnapping a _god,_ and one as powerful as Hercules at that, I think we have to assume that Tartarus managed to grab him."

"In which case, we have far more issues than before." Reyna said tiredly, smacking the table lightly. "I had thought we were done with the kidnappings some time ago, clearly that was not the case."

"And you are certain you know nothing that could benefit us?" Artemis asked Orion, clearly not for the first time.

"For the third time, no," Orion said curtly. "Tartarus was very careful with his plans. I only knew what he wanted me to know, and the same went for the other Giants and Titans. Unless he had a task for you, he didn't bother to tell us. Probably a wise decision, considering I turned traitor."

"Lucky us." Thalia muttered, just loud enough for everyone in the tent to hear.

"If Tartarus has the ability to kidnap even gods now, our situation has turned even graver." Chiron said simply. "We have no knowledge of how, or even why, he has managed to do this."

Dante's eyes had lost their focus as he continued to think on the problem, not speaking. "We must now even consider how to keep gods safe." Artemis said tiredly. "If Hercules and his strength was overcome, we must assume that they have some weapon we are not aware of. It may very well be best for us to send the gods away until the final battle is upon us, to places where they will not be captured."

"That won't work." Orion shot down the idea. Artemis looked at him for an explanation and he sighed. "What most don't realize, what even I didn't realize until he told me, is that the realm of Tartarus has been connected to every place on the surface. That's how I managed to get in and out of the camps so easily. All he had to do was to open a hole in the ground and I would be wherever in the world he wanted me to be."

"Pair the gods with a demigod." Dante said, breaking his silence. "The major ones with a demigod capable of alerting the camps to an issue. The minor ones with good fighters. If they took one, unless this is just a scare tactic, and it isn't, they will take more."

"It's not a bad idea." Thalia admitted. "And… we have to consider that other possibility."

"What possibility?" Dante asked, lost.

"That Tartarus had figured out how to corrupt gods too." Reyna said with a grim expression. "He figured out a way to kill gods, it isn't a stretch to think he could turn them into a Corrupted as well."

"If that's the case, why isn't he attacking more?" Dante wondered. "His Corrupted have already proven that they are more than a match for a normal demigod. And he has an entire legion of monsters at his disposal. The gods were your equalizer for that. Ryker brought back a good sized force of demigods with him and my brothers and I are solid fighters all, but losing the gods is a hard blow."

"The situation is grim by anyone's estimation." Chiron nodded. "In addition to that, Thanatos has informed me that our plea to allow fallen demigods to rise once more will not be allowed."

"And we have no idea what this quest that Percy and the others went on is even about." Artemis said, shaking her head in frustration.

"Actually, I have been thinking on that one." Orion said darkly. "I'm pretty sure I know what happened."

"And you haven't told us until now?" Thalia demanded, taking a step towards Orion.

Dante moved in the same beat, stepping in front of the Giant. "Take a step back." He advised.

"I knew we couldn't trust you." Thalia spat, her hand wrapping around the grip of her sword.

"If you want to play, all you need to do is say the word." Dante said sweetly, his fingers dancing at the edge of his chakrams. "I'll be glad to send you to hell."

"ENOUGH!" Chiron roared, rearing slightly onto his back legs. "The two of you are acting like children! Both of your Hunts are! Artemis, I expected more of you. Your Hunters have long been a symbol of maturity in the face of adversity and yet they are acting like petulant children."

Orion smirked and Chiron did not miss this, turning to the Giant. "And you, you would do well to bring your Hunters better under heel. They are unchecked and dangerous, especially in the way they view the other demigods. No matter what sort of upbringing they have had, they _need_ to view the others as allies and not inferiors."

"Sorry, guess we all just need to blow off some steam." Dante said mockingly, stuffing his hands into his pockets and assuming a casual stance.

"Yeah, same here." Thalia said grudgingly.

"Well why don't we do that then?" Chiron asked, his voice hard though his eyes were now dancing with an amused light. "It appears to me that we may have overlooked a serious breach of tradition recently."

"You lost me." Dante said.

"I hate to agree with him, but same here." Thalia added.

Artemis, it seemed, immediately understood where Chiron was going with his idea. "You can't be serious." She declared, "Such a thing, especially with things as they are, would be a dangerous show of weakness."

"Maybe, but it will be more dangerous if the two Hunts are constantly at each other's throats." Chiron countered firmly. "This, ultimately, is my decision Artemis. If you want your Hunters to forfeit outright, that is your decision. But that will only cause more strife."

"Does someone want to clue me in, or did you intend to speak like this for the rest of the council?" Clarissa asked, speaking up for the first time. "What tradition?"

"It has long since been a tradition for a game of capture the flag to be held once the Hunt returns to camp." Chiron explained. "I see no reason why we should not keep this tradition for the Hunters of Orion as well."

"A game? Really? Pass." Dante scowled. He had been hoping for something more fun.

"Don't speak so quickly Dante." Orion said slowly, a grin spreading across his face. "This isn't like any normal game of capture the flag. Weapons are allowed, and so are your godly powers."

Thalia was smiling wickedly as she considered the idea. "We're in." She said after a moment's contemplation. "Unless you are too afraid."

"We're in." Dante snarled, his eyes blazing in the face of the challenge. "When and where?" He barked, the question directed at Chiron.

"Gather your Hunts in an hour and meet at the site of the battle against Tartarus." Chiron declared. "I will make the necessary preparations. If the two Hunts will not get along, you _will_ respect one another."


	84. Red and Silver, Silver and Red

"We will accept any and all offer of surrender," Thalia called across the clearing that divided the two hunts. The usual large field that the game would have taken place on had been halved. Unsurprisingly this did not seem to bother the two Hunts. They had assembled as soon as the situation had been made clear to them, though to make it fair Chiron had instructed the Hunters of Artemis to match their numbers to that of Orion's. That meant that the excess Hunters were now watching on the sidelines with the instruction to remove combatants from the field when they had been incapacitated. At the ends of the field were two flags, one red and one silver, guarded by their respective hunts. "So don't be afraid to give up."

"We won't accept any such offer, so don't waste your breath." Dante retorted, his chakrams held at the ready.

Chiron raised his hand for quiet and the assembled combatants turned to face him. "There will be no killing allowed in this fight," he declared. "Once your opponent is incapacitated they will be transported to the sidelines to receive medical care. The team that retrieves the opponent's flag first will be declared the winner. Are there any questions?"

One of Orion's Hunters rolled his eyes and put earbuds in, turning up the music so as to not hear anything else. Taking this as a sign of their readiness Chiron pulled out a whistle and one loud note rang through the trees. The ensuing barrage of arrows from both sides was massive. Seemingly unconcerned about killing the other Hunt arrows buried themselves in various body parts. The ones who moved first however were the Hunters of Orion. Before their archers had loosed their arrows those with more direct weapons were already bounding across the field. Leading the charge was Zain, two escrima sticks held at his sides as he moved, an arrow protruding from his chest and arm. Thalia met the son of Thanatos head on, her shield accepting the first strike from his stick. She pushed him back and leveled the shield at him, waiting for the customary wince that it caused in her targets. Evidently no such reaction was forthcoming from Zain however as he simply stared at her, the escrimas held ready, and waited for her attack.

Several yards away, Dante was circling with another Hunter who looked vaguely familiar. His chakrams were held loosely at his side and her knives were held in a similar manner. "I've heard about you," she said in a sing-song voice. She leveled a sword at him as she moved, smiling coldly. "Neat little trick you have, being able to go intangible."

Dante's eyes narrowed and he threw a chakram at her, the blade cutting through the air with blinding speed. Lydia smiled and didn't move as the chakram entered her chest. For a brief moment Dante was sure that he had killed her, until the chakram continued going and hit the Hunter behind Lydia. She brushed at the spot where the bladed circle had gone through her and winked. "I can do that trick too. I wonder who wins now?"

Orion and Artemis watched the battle beside Chiron, both of them intent upon their Hunts. The Hunters of Artemis that did not take place in the battle were tending to the wounded as they were transported to the sidelines. "Your girls are having a tough time."

"Check the numbers, Orion." Artemis scoffed. "More of yours have fallen than mine have."

Chiron stamped a hoof in annoyance and the two deities looked suitably abashed. "This battle is not for you two to settle your grievances, this battle is for your two Hunts to gain some margin of respect for one another's abilities."

"They might gain respect for their abilities, but respect for them as people is something my Hunt simply won't be able to do," Orion said simply with no antagonism in his voice. Artemis opened her mouth and he saw the beginnings of an argument form on her face and he held up a hand. "Do not mistake me, I hope that they do but I do not foresee it happening. My Hunters have very deep grudges against the gods to the last man."

"What do you mean, Orion?" Chiron asked, wincing as a silver Hunter cut down a red one and subsequently had a stygian escrima stick crash over her skull. "They may have fallen through the cracks, but that is not the gods' fault."

"Zain is a prime example," Orion said. "Dante is another one. Zain's younger sister represents mercy of a quick death. She has the ability to stave off death or to grant one a very quick passing. Zain on the other hand isn't so lucky. In a word, he is as immortal as we are. To an extent. He represents the darker side of death: suffering. He's been eviscerated, decapitated, burned and so on. But his body always puts itself back together. He's a very literal death magnet. But he can't die. He is doomed to suffer dying over and over but without the finality. He can't talk, not without an outside source, but he is fluent in all forms of sign language. Death is often silent, and so is he. Not by choice."

"What does he hope to gain by joining your Hunt?" Artemis asked softly, looking with pity upon the zombie-like red Hunter. No matter her thoughts on the Red Hunt, such suffering was against her morals and code as a Hunter. "Does he wish to die?"

"Not quite," Orion said. "He wants to kill Thanatos. He wants vengeance on the one who cursed him to this un-life."

"He wants to kill his own father?" Artemis asked, horrified. "Being a god aside, patricide is a terrible crime."

"I don't think he really cares," Orion said honestly. "Put aside your morals for just a moment and think of this from his perspective. Thanatos is the embodiment of death and yet he won't take him. I think that Zain believes that if he kills death he may finally be able to escape life."

"But that's-." Artemis began to argue.

Orion forestalled her with a raised hand. "Believe it or not I have already disillusioned him to this. He doesn't care."

The three fell silent as they took in the fight, unsurprised at how diminished both forces were. There were a handful of hunters left garbed in red and silver. Each of the combatants left were breathing hard and nursing various injuries. Dante had been reduced one chakram as he nursed a broken right arm, the bone poking out from his flesh. Thalia had lost her shield and seemed unable to put any weight on her left leg. Zain was a literal mess, a sword poking from between his ribs and several arrows in his back. Lydia and another silver were leaning on one another for support, though they had no visible injuries.

"Had enough… yet?" Thalia panted, her voice barely above normal.

"Not even close," Dante growled back. Zain echoed his sentiment by raising his escrima sticks once more. The Hunter leaning on Lydia raised her bow and loosed an arrow at Dante. It passed harmlessly through him, though the effort going intangible took was clear on his face.

All in all there were five silver Hunters and four red left on the battlefield. "Should we stop them?" Chiron asked, glancing from Orion to Artemis. He would leave it to them, they knew their Hunts better.

The two deities slowly shook their heads in unison. "We can't." Artemis said simply.

"I don't think we could." Orion agreed.

Chiron sighed, accepting this, before turning his attention back to the fight. Thalia's sword clashed against Dante's chakram, sparks arcing off their edges. They disengaged and clashed again, both of them aiming for the others' blatantly weak point. The flat edge of Thalia's sword slammed against Dante's broken arm at the same time that he stomped his foot on the instep of Thalia's wounded leg. The pain from their wounds were sufficient enough to force them both to blackout from the pain. They weren't the only ones. Zain, who had been fighting Lydia and the huntress beside her, simply pitched forward from exhaustion at the same moment that his two opponents did. The other fights ended in similar fashions until there were no hunters, red or silver, left standing. Those on the sidelines said nothing, merely stepped onto the field and went to take care of their wounded.

"So, after all that, a draw," Orion said, a sense of finality in his voice. "I think that is the best result that could have happened."

"I quite agree," Artemis said. "If one side had won they would have thought themselves superior while the other would have been bitter."

Chiron elected to be silent, but he felt a great sense of accomplishment. Even now he saw grudging respect in the eyes of the two Hunts, and even a few tense conversations taking place between silver and red. It was not a large step, but it was a good one in the right direction.


	85. One Chain Remaining

Iguaza Falls were absolutely stunning in every sense of the word. In any other circumstance, Percy would have relished the opportunity to spend time swimming in the swirling waters and drinking in the magnificent sights. But, this was far from normal circumstances. A massive iron chain stuck out from the swirling waters at the base of the falls and ran up the height of the waterfall, anchoring itself with a larger link of the chain to the dead center of where the water spilled over the edge. Leo whistled low and shook his head slowly. "I hate to say this, Percy, but I don't think Jason and I will be able to help you too much. If we go over that waterfall it's sweet dreams for us."

"No problem," Percy said, drawing Riptide and uncapping the pen. The sword shimmered into being a few moments later as the son of Poseidon waded into the water. He drew in a deep breath and the water begin to slow. Jason and Leo whistled low as they watched Percy effectively cut them a path to the chain. Percy turned to them, his face screwed up in concentration, but beckoned for them nonetheless. "Come on, I can't do this forever. Let's break this chain and get back to camp."

Jason and Leo quickly followed after him, watching where they put their feet as the ground below them sunk at random intervals. They made their way to the chain and Leo went down on one knee to examine the metal. It was cold, unnaturally so, and even when he bathed it in flames the metal retained its cold touch. Leo pulled a hammer from his magical tool belt and tapped lightly at the chain. The instant that the metal touched the chain it crumbled into dust. Leo pursed his lips thoughtfully and tossed the wooden handle over the edge of the falls. He tried several other methods of destroying the chain, but it seemed that the strange metal was imbued with some magic that caused it to be immune to all manners of industrial sabotage.

After several failed attempts Leo slowly got to his feet and shook his head in annoyance. "Strike seven," he said, folding his arms and frowning. "I went at it with everything I had. There's gotta be some kind of trick to it."

"Well, we expected that." Jason sighed.

"Any ideas?" Percy asked, a thin sheen of sweat glistening on his forehead. "Please say yes, this isn't easy."

Jason reached out to touch the chain and recoiled the second his skin touched it. It was _hot_. Leo nodded in sympathy. "It's super cold."

"No, it's hot!" Jason argued, showing the angry red burn on his fingers.

Leo raised an eyebrow in confusion. He reached out and touched the metal again, confirming that it was, in fact, cold. "Uh, it's cold to me…" he said slowly. He glanced to Percy and nodded to the chain. "You try it maybe that has something to do with it?"

Percy obliged and the results were instant. The chain snapped immediately and fell away into the basin of the waterfall, leaving the three demigods atop the waterfall. "Let's get to the edge," Percy said, suddenly looking quite nauseous.

The other two agreed and soon enough all three of them were at the river's edge, none of them looking pleased with their deed. In fact, they all appeared to be quite ill. "That was too easy," Jason said, his face pale and his voice shaky. "That chain did something to us."

"You think?" Leo said, his hands trembling. "I'm so cold, I feel like I've been laying in ice. And I'm _never_ cold."

"Try turning your fire on," Percy suggested, his eyes glazed over. "I think I need a swim, I feel so lightheaded."

The god of Poseidon looked to be about to do just that when Jason caught his hand. "Leo let-…" Percy's voice trailed off when he realized that it was not the demigod he had thought it to be who had grabbed him. "Jason, you are seriously burning up dude."

"I'm aware," he said, sweat now dripping from his chin. "I don't know what that chain did, but we shouldn't do anything reckless until we figure it out."

"Let's head back to the car and take a rest," Leo said, getting to his feet. His breathing was labored and he was coughing quite a bit from the small amount of effort. "Man, I can't breathe."

"What did that chain do to us?" Jason asked, voicing the question that was going through all three of their minds.

The three demigods who went to the West were not the only ones encountering problems with their part of the chain. In the North, Nico and Will were facing down their chain with wariness. Nico had found the chain through the whispers of the shadows and had taken his boyfriend there with all the swiftness of shadow traveling. The chain, much like the one by the waterfall, emerged from the earth and anchored itself to a large hunk of rock. Nico and Will had tried quite hard to remove the chain from the rock, but to no avail. "We've got to figure this out," Nico said, pursing his lips and drumming his fingers on the hilt of his stygian iron sword.

"You don't think I know that?" Will snapped, shooting a glare at the son of Hades even as he tried to pull the chain off of the rock. "What, does it look like I am just sitting here twiddling my thumbs?"

Nico took a step back, visibly recoiling from the harsh words. Will had never raised his voice to him, not in true anger like this. "S-sorry," he said in a low voice.

"Whatever," Will snapped, clearly not at all sorry about his tone. "Come over here and help me get this damn chain off."

Nico meekly followed the instruction, grabbing the other side of the chain and pushing hard on it. The chain, which had been so obstinate for nigh on several hours now, shockingly budged slightly. Nico felt a small swell of joy in his soul and just as quickly pushed it back down like he used to. The reaction was so instant that, considering he had not done that in such a long time, Nico stopped trying to push the chain off. "What?" he said, blinking in shock.

Will glanced over and his face darkened in anger. "What, did you need a break already?" He barked. "Grab this damn chain, and HELP ME!" the normally good natured son of Apollo roared the last two words and Nico, spurned into action, followed the orders immediately.

The chain budged again at both of their efforts, but Nico felt something was very much awry. Will, though he refused to say as much, felt much the same. Nico was the most important person to him, and yet even then he hated that fact. He thought about his brothers and sisters back in the Apollo tent and found that his anger towards Nico extended towards them as well. In fact, the more Will thought about it, the more he realized that he felt rage at every single person he thought of. Something was, indeed, very, _very_ wrong.

Nico and Will weren't the only couple that was dealing with unexplained effects. Frank and Hazel stood before the hole that their chain had fallen down, but that was not their focus. "You feel it too, don't you?" Frank asked softly.

"I don't," Hazel said sadly. The more that the two of them had freed the chain the less she felt for Frank. For the praetor, it was quite the opposite. When the chain had slipped beneath the earth he had felt an overwhelming surge of love for his girlfriend and made to embrace her in triumph. But Hazel had help up a hand, her face drawn up into confused lines, to stop him. "I don't… I don't feel anything towards you."

"What do you mean?" Frank asked, laughing nervously. "Come on, it's me!"

"I know!" she said desperately, willing her heart to do _something._ "Trust me, I know! But… it's like… like there is nothing there. I know I loved you that I should _still_ love you, but I don't. I don't like you at all. I don't feel anything towards you. It's like you are a stranger to me."

Far below all of them, in Tartarus, the body of Ryker laid before the broken remnants of a chain, hanging loosely from the dark above him. Standing over the body was a very elegantly dressed version of Ryker, staring down at him with an impassive face. He ran a hand over his saber and sighed. "I guess that it was inevitable, in the end." He said, turning on his heel and striding away. "The chain is almost gone. Only one link left. It's time to return to the surface, I believe." The Corrupted Ryker did not look back. He did not spare a single glance back at the body of the original. Business as usual.


	86. Where To Put You?

"Any word from our little questers?" Dante asked curiously, walking through the flap of the command tent. It had been several days since the game of Capture the Flag and, even though not a single one of the Hunters of Orion would admit it, things had vastly improved as far as their relationship with the camps. Two of the Hunters of Orion had even opted to join their siblings in their cabin. Granted, they were both sons of Nike and had lost a bet hence their new situation. But, to everyone around them, that didn't matter and the fact that they were staying there was all that mattered. Reyna glanced up from where she stood hunched over a map of the surrounding areas. Her dogs looked up at Dante's arrival and then put their heads back down. "Or any word of anything really?"

"Nothing so far," she said, returning her focus to the map before her. "I don't understand it. Tartarus knows we are weak, especially with that lot off on quests."

"Maybe that's the thing?" Dante offered, rubbing a finger fondly across the metal of his chakram. "Maybe he learned from the others' mistakes. Every time that a prophecy is made the big bad of the day tries to stop it. Maybe he learned and is letting the prophecy take its course."

Reyna considered this and then nodded slowly. "That is… very possible," she admitted. "Is that what you would do?"

"I would slaughter the camps, wait for the questers to get back, and then slaughter them too." Dante said simply. "Simply, ruthless, and effective."

"I am glad the Red Hunt is on our side," Reyna muttered, using the name for Orion's hunt that had grown commonplace among the camps. It still annoyed the Silver Hunt that Orion's chosen had been allowed to exist, but the tensions between the two had drastically reduced. That is not to say there were not complications… "However I am glad you are here right now. A little problem has been brought to my attention."

"Did my guys do anything?" Dante asked, slightly curious. The Red Hunt generally told one another everything that they were planning to do in the event that they needed backup or plausible deniability. They hadn't done anything recently that would warrant some as high up as Reyna's attention.

"No, not yet at least," Reyna said, straightening and stretching her back. "That aside, my problem was the fact that the Red Hunt is still very much an unknown entity on the battlefield."

"We proved we could hold our own against the silver starlings," Dante said.

"You did," Reyna agreed unhesitatingly. "That is without question. However, that is also the problem. The Hunters of Artemis all act as one cohesive unit. Your brothers, however, fight as individuals. They are, admittedly, far above average fighters to a man and that skill is what allowed you to hold your own against a well-trained force. But in the coming fight, we will need to all fight under one central command."

"You want me to bring the Red Hunt under control?" Dante asked incredulously, uncertain whether to laugh or sigh. "Impossible. At least, not without more time than we have. It would take years for you to break them of their instinct to prioritize their own survival above others'."

"That leaves us in something of a bind then," Reyna rested her weight on one hip and sighed. "Romans are built on the foundation of disciplined military movement. The Greeks, while they are unorganized in comparison, do have at least some order. They look after one another in a fight."

"True," Dante admitted fairly. "Whereas _we_ don't look after one another unless the flow of battle puts us there. That means you don't know where to distribute us on the battlefield, right?"

"Precisely," Reyna nodded. "Everything that Tartarus has led us to believe makes us think that the final battle against him will be two armies meeting each other over the open battlefield in the fields he created in the south. The Romans, who are all versed in this sort of combat, will make up the center of the demigod army. The Greeks will take the right side and the Hunters of Artemis, as they have a great deal more numbers than you, will take the left."

"Send us out as the advance force then. Soften them up before they get to you." Dante said dismissively, scratching absentmindedly at the back of his neck.

Reyna, and Thalia who had just strode into the tent, froze in their spots as they realized what Dante had said. But, more than the fact that he had said it, was the _way_ he had said it. There was no hesitation, no waver in his voice to betray uncertainty. "That's suicide," Reyna said flatly.

"I don't even like you and I agree with her," Thalia put in.

Dante sighed. "Look, chances are none of us make it out of here alive anyways," he stated. "Tartarus has a massive army of monsters at his disposal, and those Corrupted demigods of his are no joke either. One on one there are probably only a handful of demigods who can effectively take them and come out alive. My Hunt included. If we are going to have a shot, we have to be willing to do whatever it takes to win. The Hunters of Orion understand that better than anyone. That's why we should do this. Our instinct for self-preservation is strong enough for us to have a good enough chance for us to make it back to you guys."

"Even if we agreed to this, what good would it do to waste your forces against them?" Thalia asked. "Cohesive with our other forces or not, there are better uses for your Hunt than to just die in a blaze of glory."

"Well, if you think of something let me know." Dante spread his arms wide. "Don't get us wrong. We have no intention of dying against Tartarus. Not a single one of us wants to 'die in a blaze of glory' as you so eloquently put it. But harassing them as a preemptive force gives us a much better chance. Tartarus is no longer in his domain. Orion thinks that, since he is here now, he can't bring more monsters with him. That means the forces he has now are the ones he has to take us with."

"That doesn't make things much better," Thalia muttered. "I sent a few scouts out to survey his army yesterday. They outnumber us twelve to one at best. Fifteen to one at worst."

Reyna paled while Dante whistled low. A smile quirked at the corner of his lips and he glanced to Reyna and Thalia. "Well, that puts things in perspective." He said, turning on his heel and heading out of the tent. "I'll be back tomorrow. I want to check something."

Reyna and Thalia watched him go and exchanged wary glances. "Do you ever get the feeling that someone is about to do something _really_ stupid?" Thalia asked.

Running a hand down her face, Reyna nodded slowly. "I'm getting it right now. But stopping him would probably be even worse."

Dante moved through the camp with methodical quickness until he had found his way to the cabins owned by the Red Hunt. Outside, several members of the Hunt were outside amusing themselves with a deck of cards and each trying to out cheat the others. They looked up at Dante's approach and gave mock salutes to their de facto leader. "What did the praetor want?" Lucas, a massively built Hispanic demigod asked. At his side were two massive broadswords that he typically wore strapped across his back. They were absurdly heavy but, in Lucas's hands, they moved with liquid grace.

"Nothing major," Dante said, a sly grin spreading across his face. "But the leader of the silver starlings told me something _very_ interesting."

"And what's that?" Sebastian asked disinterestedly. Unlike Lucas his weapons were much easier to hide. Hidden in the bracers that were constantly on his wrist were two crossbows that seemingly never ran out of bolts.

"The fact that Tartarus's camp is around here somewhere," Dante said casually, his eyes betraying his eagerness. The focus on the game immediately diminished and the Hunters met Dante's eyes, matching smiles appearing on all of their faces. "I thought that would get your attention."


End file.
